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THE  PRINCE  OE  WALES  IN  INDIA. 


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FKOM  PALL  MALL   TO   THE   PUNJAUB, 


J.  DREW    GAY, 

SPECIAL  CORRESPONDENT  OF  LONDON  "DAILY  TELEGRAPH. 


NEW  YORK  : 
K.   WORTHINGTON,   750  BROADWAY 

1877. 


Printed  for  the  Publisher,  in  the  year  1877,  by 

MEAD  &  MOYNAHAN. 

*W7  Broadway,  xkar  Thtkd  St.  New  York. 


THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES  IN  INDIA: 


OR, 


From  Pall  Mall  to  the  Punjaul). 


BT 

J.    DEEW    GAT, 

Special  Correspondent  of  the  London  "Daily  Telegraph.1 


NEW  YORK: 
1?.   -WORTHINGTON, 

1877. 


rV3 


CONTENTS. 

o 

CHAPTER.  PAGE, 

I. — First  Impressions  of   Bombay     ..     ..      ..  9 

II. — Social  Life  in  Bombay 19 

III. — Receptions  of   Rajahs 29 

IV. — The  arrival  of  the  Prince 45 

Y.— Royal  Fete3       54 

VI.— Life  in  Poona 73 

VII. — Games  and  Sports  at  Baroda 82 

VIII.— The  Voyage  to  Ceylon 99 

IX. — Cingalese  Fairy  Land       113 

X. — Kandyan.  Curiosities        119 

XL— The  Veddahs  of  Ceylon 132 

XII.— The  Sacred  Tooth 137 

XIII.— A  Week  in  Madras 142 

XIV. — Indian  Amusements . . 164 

XV.— The  Prince  in  Bengal      . .  171 

XVI.— A  Sunday  in  Calcutta       179 

XVII. — Polo  Playing  and  Snake  Charming       . .      . .  185 

XVIII.— A  Captive  King ..  194 

XIX.— Life  in  Calcutta        200 

XX.— Knight-Making 208 

XXL— The  Sacred  City  of  Benares 218 

XXII.— A  Levee  of  the  Brave      .. 225 

XXIII.— A  Review  of  Delhi 240 

XXIV.— The  Battle  on  the  Ridge 249 

XXV.— Feats  of  SkiU  and  Strength 257 

XXVI. — Jummoo  the  Magnificent        263 


438868 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

XXVII. — Sports  in  Cashmere 272 

XXVIII.— Akbar's  Capital 281 

XXIX.— A  Tomb  and  a  Tower ..     ..  287 

XXX. — Native  Courts  and  Prisons 297 

XXXI.— An  Eastern  Paris £05 

XXXII.— Tiger  Shooting  and  a  Durbar 317 

XXXIII.— Scindia's  Welcome 226 

XXXIV. — Scenes  in  Gwalior 336 

XXXV. — Hunting  in  the  Jungle 345 

XXXVI.— Allahabad  and  its  Sights       0.~0 

XXXVII.— English  Life  in  the  Hills        3-36 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


-0- 


A  Rhinoceros  Fight Frontispiece. 

The  Ascent  to  the  Temple  of  Parbutte,   near  Poona 77 

An  Elephant  Fight  in  the  arena,  near  Baroda      87 

A  Captive  Tiger  led  before  the  Prince,  after  the  Sports  in  )  g* 

the  arena,  at  Baroda      ) 

Buddhist  Priests  exhibiting  Buddha's  Tooth  to  the  Prince,  )  *.  on 

at  Kandy       )  1JT 

Native  Piinces  at  the  Chapter  of  the  Star  of  India,  Calcutta  177 

The  Monkey  Temple  at  Benares       223 

Hunting  in  the  Terai — crossing  a  Mullah      ,     „ .  329 


THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES  IN  INDIA. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

FIKST   IMPRESSIONS   OP   BOMBAY. 

It  was  a  bright  autumn  morning  when  we  landed  in  India, 
— bright  not  in  the  sense  that  you  in  England  understand  bright- 
ness, but  with  a  gleam  and  a  heat  which  you  only  associate  with 
the  midday  glare  of  a  hot  summer's  day,  and  not  at  all  the  cold 
calmness  of  an  English  autumn.  Nothing  could  be  pleasanter 
to  all  of  us,  heartily  tired  as  we  were  of  the  sea  and  its  belong- 
ings, than  at  length  to  descry  the  long  line  of  hills  which  told  us 
of  proximity  to  Bombay.  Had  we  not  had  the  incentive  tp 
satisfaction  which  a  three  weeks'  voyage  engendered,  the  pro- 
spect which  presented  itself,  as  the  ship  neared  shore,  would  of 
itself  have  been  sufficiently  delightful.  Only  five  minutes  ago, 
and  the  sky  was  brilliantly  lit  with  stars;  now  the  sun's  rays 
were  shooting  up  in  the  east  behind  the  grey  mountains,  and 
driving  night  away  with  startling  rapidity.  Like  a  huge  pano- 
rama Bombay  rose  before  us.  Yonder  on  the  right  was  the  island 
of  Elephanta,  with  its  caves  and  its  jungle;  away  in  front  of  us 
Trombay  Island  with  its  mountains  and  precipices.  Bombay 
itself,  skirting  the  bay,  was  thrusting  out,  so  to  speak,  from  the 
lingering  gloom  into  the  advancing  sunshine,  its  white  houses, 
its  palm-trees,  its  pleasant  hills  and  valleys,  and  its  splefidid 
harbour,  and  drawing  forth,  from  those  who  now  saw  it  for  the 
first  time,  repeated  exclamations  of  astonishment. 

It  is  difficult  to  say  what  Bombay  looks  like.  The  Bay  of 
Naples,  to  which  this  home  of  Western  Indian  industry  and  gov- 


mi  wiie  Mince  in  india. 

eminent  lias  often  been  compared,  is  not  at  all  like  it.  Yon  fail 
to  see  the  huge  mountain  overtopping  everything.  The  lines 
of  hills  which  skirt  the  water  and  shut  out  the  horizon  from 
view,  fill  you  with  surprise,  but  certainly  do  not  remind  you  of 
Vesuvius.  They  are  peculiar  to  the  place,  and  are  like  nothing 
to  which  our  European  eyes  are  accustomed.  Boldly  out  against 
the  sky  stand  Matheran  and  the  outposts  of  the  Ghauts,  some 
apparently  extending  for  miles  in  a  hard,  straight  line,  as  though, 
by  some  tremendous  convulsion  of  Nature,  the  peaks  had  been 
sheared  off,  and  a  hard  road  made  in  the  region  of  cloud-land. 
Near  by  are  hills  with  summits,  which  look  marvellously  like 
ruined  temples,  columns,  and  monuments,  fantastic  results  of 
inexplicable  forces.  There  is  scarcely  a  hill  with  the  orthodox 
cone — nothing  half  so  respectable  as  Snowdon  or  Pilatus.  As 
for  the  town,  it  is  almost  as  irregular  in  appearance  as  are  the 
hills  in  the  distance.  Not  that  this  irregularity  is  objectionable; 
on  the  contrary,  the  very  absence  of  sharply-defined  streets  and 
Regularly  laid-out  squares  adds  to  the  charm  which  the  place 
possesses.  The  white  houses  struggle  down  to  the  water's  edge 
in  most  curious  fashion;  they  are  huddled  together  as  though 
every  inch  of  ground  was  of  the  utmost  value,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  crowd  as  many  bricks  and  stones  as  possible  into  the 
smallest  conceivable  space.  You  wonder,  as  your  eyes  move 
along  the  strand  in  the  direction  of  the  fashionable  suburb  of 
Malabar  Hill,  that  some  one  did  not  suggest  wider  spaces  be- 
tween the  houses  in  the  valley,  instead  of  leaving  the  land  so 
comparatively  unoccupied  in  the  higher  ground.  But  once  you 
have  landed,  you  find  many  of  your  preconceived  notions  upset. 
The  part  which  appeared  to  be  crowded  and  close  is,  in  reality, 
onl^  so  down  at  the  water's  edge.  Right  through  the  centre  run 
wide  roads,  flanked  on  either  side  by  fine  houses  and  grand  pub- 
lic buildings,  such  as  on  a  first  sight  one  could  scarcely  expect 
Bombay  to  possess.  There  is  a  magnificent  expanse  called  the 
Esplanade,  with  large  trees  overshadowing  its  pathways,  and 


FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  OF   BOMBAY.  H 

parade  and  cricket  grounds  on  either  hand.  There  are  troops  in 
review  order  on  the  right,  and  two  cricketing  elevens  of  Eng- 
lishmen bowling  and  batting  on  the  left,  with  the  old-fashioned 
scoring  tent,  the  familiar  soda-water  and  brandy  bottles  peeping 
out  of  ice-pails,  and  a  fashionable  crowd  of  English  ladies  and 
gentlemen  watching  the  game  and  applauding  the  players.  One 
side  represents  the  fleet,  lieutenants,  sub-lieutenants,  and  mid- 
shipmen; the  other  side  is  drawn  from  a  club  which  boasts  the 
title  of  Gymkhana.  When  the  stumps  are  drawn,  the  battle  is 
undecided,  the  officers  go  to  their  ships,  the  Gymkhana  to  their 
homes,  and  the  spectators  towards  the  Apollo  Bandar,  to  listen 
to  the  band  which  plays  near  that  landing-stage  before  dinner 
^ach  night. 

The  streets  which  pierce  the  strange-looking  houses  wherein 
the  natives  reside  are  crowded  to  excess.  The  vehicle,  not- 
withstanding that  its  driver  shouts  himself  hoarse  and  strikes 
fiercely  at  passers-by,  can  scarcely  move  forward  at  a  good 
walking  pace.  Mohammedans,  Parsees,  Hindoos,  Mahrattas, 
Chinese,  English  sailors  from  the  flying  squadron  anchored  in 
the  harbour,  negroes,  Lascars,  nondescripts  from  every  known 
place,  are  all  here,  and  are  dressed  in  their  most  brilliant  cos- 
tumes. Before  every  house  is  hung  a  festooned  wreath  of  leaves 
and  flowers ;  glass  lanterns,  to  be  lighted  at  night,  are  to  be 
seen  everywhere.  When  darkness  comes  on,  and  the  lamps  are 
lit,  when  the  coloured  fires  burn  in  the  courts  of  the  temples, 
and  the  light  is  reflected  from  house  to  house  by  the  burnished 
metal  work,  for  which  streets  in  Bombay  are  famous,  the  sight 
is  magnificent  in  the  extreme;  even  now,  in  the  daytime,  it  is 
marvellous  to  the  unaccustomed  eye.  Robes  of  vermilion, 
scarlet,  blue,  and  gold,  richly  chased  jackets  and  flowing,  white 
burnouses,  intermingle  and  blend  with  the  olive  coloured,  naked 
backs  of  those  who  own  neither  ornament  or  dress  worth  men- 
tioning, but  who  are  come  out  by  tens  of  thousands  to  look  at 
each  other.    Does  the  eye  fix  upon  the  numberless  head-dresses 


12  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

worn?  Then  there  are  the  Parsee  hat,  the  European  helmet, 
the  Turkish  fez  and  snow-white  turban,  the  turban  of  green 
worn  by  the  most  favoured  of  Mahomet's  own,  and  that  of  red 
or  pink,  boasted  by  the  Mahrattas  of  the  hills.  All  kinds, 
shapes  and  colours  are  passing  in  view  like  the  varied  glasses 
of  the  kaleidoscope.  How  silent  is  the  footfall  of  this  mighty 
mass  of  athletic  men  !  Occasionally  a  sandal  may  grate  on  the 
hard  road ;  but,  for  the  most  part,  the  promenaders  are  innocent 
of  foot  covering  of  any  kind,  and  move  along  as  noiselessly  and 
as  stealthily  as  though  absolute  quiet  were  the  object  of  their 
lives.  Ever  changing  in  appearance,  the  tide  of  human  life 
rolls  on,  without  the  buzz  of  a  European  crowd,  with  scarcely 
the  sound  of  a  single  heel. 

The  rapidity  with  which  colours  melt  one  into  another  almost 
bewilders  the  spectator :  he  can  scarcely  note  that  more  than 
half  of  those  who  are  passing  have  marked  their  foreheads  with 
red  paint,  and  that  the  ladies  who  are  in  the  crowd  have,  in 
many  cases,  very  large  rings  passed  through  their  particularly 
small  noses.  The  fashion  of  facial  ornamentation  is  not  wholly 
unknown  among  sundry  of  high  degree  at  home,  only  in  these 
Eastern  lands  it  is  brought  to  further  perfection.  If  a  dark- 
coloured  gentleman  considers  that  his  complexion  would  be 
improved  by  a  patch  of  yellow  on  each  cheek,  in  front  of  the 
ears,  paint  is  not  costly,  and  a  friendly  hand  will  quickly  apply 
the  pigment.  Should  a  lady  think  that  a  ring  in  her  nostril, 
and  a  little  patch  of  crimson  on  her  forehead,  would  add  to  her 
other  attractions,  she  follows  out  her  convictions  bravely.  Even 
the  Nubian  at  Aden  has'  the  courage  of  his  opinions  in  this  re- 
spect. His  instincts  tell  him  that  Nature  was  not  prodigal  of 
beauty  when  she  designed  his  countenance  and  hair.  Does  he 
rebel  1  No;  he  begins  where  nature  left  off,  and  with  a  knife 
makes  several  delicate  slashes  on  his  checks,  while,  with  a  solu- 
tion of  lime,  he  rubs  the  top  of  his  head,  and  colours  his  curls 
a  brilliant  yellow.  This  is  as  it  should  be,  and  the  conclu«i?*? 
is  acknowledged  by  the  dwellers  in  Boml?^ 


FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  OF  BOMBAY.  13 

Then  there  is  the  additional  charm  that  an  act  of  ornamenta- 
tion is  at  the  same  time  an  act  of  devotion.  It  is  combining 
business  with  pleasure,  satisfying  conscience,  and  pleasing  the 
mind — a  two-handed  comfort  which  renders  the  body  a  thing 
of  beauty,  and  morally  constitutes  it  "  a  joy  forever."  So  the 
people  have  very  generally  daubed  their  foreheads  all  over,  and 
thus  added  to  their  beauty  and  their  piety  at  one  stroke.  The 
Mohammedans  have  a  reason  also  for  joining  in  the  festivities. 
It  is  the  first  day  of  Ramadan — a  time  for  best  clothes  and,  to 
say  nothing  of  best  behaviour,  a  moment  for  sanctified  exulta- 
tion and  religious  hilarity.  And  with  a  firm  belief  in  Dr. 
Watts'  aphorism  that  "  Religion  never  was  designed  to 
make  our  pleasures  less,"  the  Mohammedan  brings  an  extra 
supply  of  betel-nut,  puts  on  his  choicest  turban  and  robe,  and 
does  his  best  to  keep  the  feast.  In  this  way  the  crowd  is 
recruited,  and  before  the  night  comes  on  the  roads  are  impass- 
able, for  the  feast  of  lanterns  is  an  abiding  pleasure  to  the 
native  of  India,  and  the  brilliantly-lit  houses,  temples,  and 
statues  may  well  be  gazed  at  by  a  people  whose  faults,  whatever 
they  may  be,  do  not  include  a  lack  of  appreciation  for  colour 
and  light. 

Just  when  we  arrived  Bombay  was  full  of  Rajahs;  and,  if 
proof  of  this  were  wanted,  nothing  would  be  easier  than  to 
copy  from  the  official  list  a  long  column  of  their  names  and 
titles.  But  as  at  the  best  life  is  short,  and  the  cognomens  of 
these  dignitaries  are  not  the  lightest  of  reading,  1  will  only 
give  a  sample.  I  will  not  imitate  the  official  report  even  in 
this.  Under  the  heading  of  distinguished  arrivals  stands  a 
series  of  extraordinary  titles.  Were  they  alone,  they  would  be 
grand  in  their  very  unpronounceability — if  I  may  coin  such  a 
word.  But  an  ingenious  official  has  attempted  to  make  the 
matter  clear  to  the  uninstructed  mind,  and  to  that  end  has 
prefixed  an  alias  to  each  name.  Thus  we  find  admirable  and 
well-born  rulers  placed  on  the  list,  and   respectively  styled 


14  WITS  TSE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

Gungadharrao  Gunput  alias  Bliaoo  Salieb,  chief  of  Meerujand ; 
Ramchundrarao  Gopall,  alias  Appa  Saheb,  chief  of  Jamkhundi. 

There  is  always  a  pleasure  in  beholding  the  inexplicable. 
Who  that  has  seen  them  has  not  gazed  with  delight  upon  the 
Sphinx,  the  Pyramids,  the  tablets  from  Nineveh,  or  the  paint- 
ings of  Gustave  Dore?  You  cannot  understand  them  a  bit; 
their  very  mystery  makes  you  happy ;  if  you  knew  all  about 
them  you  would  give  them  no  more  attention  than  you  do  to 
the  lions  in  Trafalgar  Square  or  the  Bethnal  Green  Museum. 
Why,  then,  eliminate  all  pleasure  from  a  contemplation  of  the 
name  of  Trinibakrao  Ram  Purandhare  by  telling  in  plain  Eng- 
lish who  the  gentleman  really  is,  or  bother  people  by  stating 
that  Luxumon  Maharudra  Swami  is  the  ruler  of  Chafal  1  It 
may  be  pleaded  as  an  excuse  that  very  few  know  where  Chafal 
is,  and  that  the  explanation  has  merely  a  look  of  careful  atten- 
tion about  it.  But  it  robs  the  list  of  all  romance,  and  makes 
it  a  dry  statement  of  unintelligibility.  The  only  consolation 
under  such  distressing  circumstances  was  that  we  were  informed 
with  great  regularity  of  the  visits  of  the  Chiefs  to  the  Governor 
of  the  Presidency,  and  of  his  visits  to  them. 

There  is  an  old  but  admirable  saying  to  the  effect  that 
"  every  dog  has  his  day."  In  Bombay,  at  festival  times,  every 
Chief  has  his  ten  minutes.  According  to  the  Government 
statement,  the  aged  Governor  of  Bombay,  Sir  Philip  Wodhouse, 
began  his  visiting  at  eleven  a.m.  punctually.  From  that  time 
till  4.30  p.m.  he  visited  six  fresh  grandees  every  hour,  winding 
up  this  pleasant  and  entertaining  diversion  by  an  interview 
with  Trimbakrao  Bam  Purandhare.  We  learnt  with  some 
pleasure  that  betel-nut  and  the  leaf  called  pan  was  presented 
by  each  Chief  to  his  Excellency,  and  that  in  each  case  the 
Governor  was  placed  by  his  host  in  the  place  of  honour  at  the 
right.  Bui  about  the  conversation  the  "  Gazette  "  knew  noth- 
ing; and  it  did  not  even  state  what  weight  of  betel-nut  his 
"*fc.celler«j)"  accumulated  when  he  had  naid  the  last  visit  and 


FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  OF  BOMBAY.  15 

received  the  last  offering.  One  source  of  amusement  was,  how- 
ever, open  to  those  who  put  their  trust  in  princes.  Every  now 
and  then  some  fresh  potentate  arrived  at  one  or  other  of  the 
railway  stations  or  landing-stages,  and  was  received  with  more 
or  less  friendly  effervescence.  Among  those  who  thus  came 
into  the  town  was  the  Maharajah  of  Mysore.  To  heighten  ex- 
pectation, there  was  a  guard  of  honour  of  a  hundred  men  in  the 
little  station  at  Byculla ;  a  band  stood  ready  to  play ;  and  the 
Chief  Political  Secretary  to  the  Government,  Mr.  Ravenscroffc, 
was  on  the  platform.  Presently  the  train  bearing  Mysorean 
royalty  puffed  into  the  station.  Eyes  were  strained,  necks 
craned  forward,  the  band  struck  up,  the  Secretary  advanced, 
and  from  the  mountain  thus  in  labour  there  came  forth,  not 
exactly  a  mouse,  but  a  little  boy  of  some  twelve  years  of  age, 
so  enveloped  in  gold  and  purple  as  to  be  all  but  hidden  from 
view.  Nor  were  his  attendants  the  bold  militaires  that  we 
looked  for.  Some  were  dressed  in  blue  and  some  in  white, 
some  were  not  attired  in  very  much  of  anything ;  while  as  to 
their  arms,  they  were  as  much  the  representatives  of  almost 
antediluvian  days  as  they  could  well  be.  Some  had  match-locks, 
others  pistols — these  being  the  descendants  of  the  men  who,  in 
days  gone  by,  defeated  Major  Lawrence  at  the  head  of  a  British 
force,  and  very  nearly  prevented  our  grasping  the  South  of 
India  at  all.  Twenty-one  guns  were  fired,  the  troops  presented 
arms,  the  band  played,  and  the  Royal  boy  was  hurried  into  a 
carriage  and  taken  from  the  station  to  Cumballa  Hill. 

As  we  returned  to  Byculla  we  looked  over  a  gaol — the  House 
of  Correction  at  Byculla — temporarily  placed  under  the  super- 
intendence of  Major  Prendegast  Walsh.  The  sepoys  who  stood 
at  the  gates,  the  white  sergeant  warders  who  walked  up  and 
down  the  garden,  the  coloured  gentlemen  who,  with  leg  irons 
clanking,  were  tending  the  plants  and  trees,  and  the  bars,  bolts, 
grated  windows  and  guarded  doors,  with  notice  to  the  effect 
that  no  admittance  is  allowed  "except  on  business" — what 


16       WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

business  has  a  man  in  gaol  1 — were  scarcely  suggestive  of  merry- 
making and  rejoicing.  You  would  be  puzzled  to  connect  this 
establishment  with  the  Prince's  visit  in  any  way,  and  ^t  it  had 
something  to  do  with  it  after  all. 

Received  at  the  doorway  by  Major  Walsh,  who  is  the  most 
courteous  of  officials,  we  mounted  to  what  is  called  the  Euro- 
pean Hospital.  Not  to  see  the  sick,  however,  for,  fortunately 
there  were  no  white  men  sick  in  the  place,  but  to  see  how 
greatly  even  prisoners  can  contribute  to  the  general  mirth  ;  for, 
in  this  admirably-managed  prison  the  motto  is  to  make  each 
inmate  earn  as  much  money  as  he  can  for  the  paternal  Legis- 
lature which  finds  him  a  hiding-place,  and,  turning  every 
opportunity  to  excellent  account,  Major  Walsh  was  employing 
the  more  deserving  and  clever  of  the  people  under  his  care  in 
decorative  work  for  the  coming  festivities.  In  the  room  were 
designs  for  the  saloon  in  which,  a  day  or  two  hence,  seamen 
and  school-children  were  to  be  feasted ;  and,  albeit  that  the 
workshop  is  a  prison  and  the  workers  convicts,  bright  pigments 
and  skilful  brushes  had  formed  shields  and  banners  which  had 
merit  and  beauty — such,  indeed,  as  would  please  the  Prince  and 
the  people  too.  Close  by  were  thousands  of  little  tinfoil  ban- 
nerets of  gold  and  silver  hue,  specially  formed  to  decorate  the 
edibles  on  the  tables  when  the  mariners  might  rest  and  be 
thankful.  Descending  a  staircase,  we  entered  an  open  yard, 
into  which  a  huge  shed  opened,  and  here  we  saw  the  continu- 
ation of  the  decorative  work.  Artificial  flowers  of  every  kind — 
for  Bombay  knows  nothing  of  real  blossoms  in  November — 
wreaths,  festoons,  and  brilliant  paper-hangings  of  intricate  pat- 
tern, but  admirable  construction,  were  all  before  us.  Thirty 
or  forty  men  were  working  away  with  all  their  might,  not  at 
the  degrading  shot-drill  or  disintegration  of  oakum  knots,  but 
with  tinted  tissues,  weaving  them  tastefully  into  all  kinds  of 
bhapes,  and  learning  from  the  study  of  art  lessons  of  tender- 
ness and  care. 


FIEST  IMPBESSIONS  OF  BOMBAY,  17 

It  was  a  humanising  influence  to  which  they  were  subjected, 
and  if  the  Royal  visit  effects  no  more  than  the  mental  improve- 
ment of  these  rough,  white  vagabonds,  it  will  yet  have  achieved 
much  good.  Of  course,  the  whole  of  the  criminals  were  not 
under  similar  training.  To  provide  work  for  three  hundred 
and  fifty  of  society's  outcasts,  black  and  white,  is  no  easy  task, 
and  ingenious  must  be  the  mind  which  can  make  the  most  of  such 
a  mass  of  labouring  power.  Major  Walsh  had  done  much,  as 
we  saw  by  the  carpenters,  who  were  making  chairs  and  tables, 
the  men  who  were  weaving  mats  and  making  towels,  and  those, 
too,  who  were  on  the  treadmill  driving  mills  and  machinery. 
Nevertheless,  there  was  a  goodly  company  engaged  in  shot 
exercise — an  equally  large  number  in  cells.  For  some  of  these 
latter  a  strong  bolt  or  lock  seemed  to  be  a  very  necessary  pro- 
vision. Those  villains,  for  instance,  were  pointed  out  whose 
favourite  avocation  had  long  been  of  the  Dick  Turpin  kind. 
Their  style  and  title  is  that  of  Dacoit ;  and  in  their  time  they 
have  seen  and  done  much  at  which  men  usually  shudder. 

Their  chieftain  stood  at  his  cell  door  and  saluted  the  Gov- 
ernor as  he  passed.  A  more  perfect  type  of  what  is  known  as 
the  brigand  universally  could  not  be  imagined.  He  would  pass 
current  anywhere  for  a  robber.  His  moustache  and  curiously 
curled  beard,  his  fierce  eyes  and  gashed  face,  the  great  sabre 
cut  on  his  left  arm,  which  he  exhibited  with  some  pride — a  cut, 
by  the  way,  given  him  a  short  time  since  when  he  was  captured 
by  a  cavalryman,  and  cut  down  in  the  midst  of  his  villany — 
his  dress  and  his  very  style  of  turban,  all  proclaimed  him  to  be 
an  energetic  scoundrel,  who  would  as  soon  cut  a  throat  and 
commit  a  robbery  as  eat  the  food  which  was  just  being  brought 
him.  His  followers  were  fair  imitations,  but  far  behind  their 
accomplished  master.  Ruffianism  such  as  his  was  an  accom- 
plishment only  to  be  gained  after  diligent  labours  for  many 
years,  not  an  accidental  art  quickly  learnt  and  easily  assumed 
It  had  been  the  life-long  study  of  this  estimable  person,  and  hi 


1$  WITH  TEE  PRlNGE  IN  INDIA. 

had  gained  perfection  by  perseverance  only.  He  and  his  two 
promising  pupils  had  each  at  various  times  attempted  to  escape, 
and  were  in  consequence  the  unwilling  bearers  of  heavy  irons 
for  the  rest  of  their  sojourn  in  Major  Walsh's  establishment. 
Were  it  not  for  this,  they  would  probably  quit  the  uncongenial 
scene  without  due  warning,  and  recommence  their  misdeeds  in 
the  hills  and  vales  of  the  Presidency — a  very  undesirable 
arrangement  for  the  present. 

Leaving  them  to  their  fate,  we  entered  the  hospital  for 
natives  in  gaol,  and  found  two  or  three  dying  opium-eaters,  a 
man  who  was  shamming  illness  because  he  had  to  receive 
twenty-five  lashes  with  the  cat-o'-nine-tails  and  did  not  like  the 
prospect,  and  one  or  two  who  were  suffering  from  low  fever. 
Then  to  the  cooking-house,  and  so  out  into  the  gardens  once 
more,  having  passed  through  one  of  the  best-managed  prison 
establishments  in  the  Empire. 


CHAPTER  II. 


SOCIAL    LIFE    IN   BOMBAY. 


Early  in  the  evening  a  few  days  afterwards  I  found  myself  a 
guest  of  one  of  the  most  influential  Mohammedans  in  Bombay. 
The  invited  were  not  numerous,  for  the  notice  was  short ;  but, 
m  place  of  great  formality,  there  was  hearty  hospitality.  It 
was  my  first  introduction  to  the  private  house  of  a  Moham- 
medan in  India,  and  it  was  with  no  small  amount  of  curiosity 
that  I  regarded  all  about  me. 

The  carriage-drive  through  the  grounds  was  simply  superb  ; 
such  foliage  as  we  have  no  conception  of  in  Europe  made  a 
thick  green  arch,  down  which  the  light  streamed  from  the 
windows  of  the  mansion.  Sounds  of  music,  too,  fell  upon  the 
ear ;  and  at  the  far  end  of  the  avenue,  close  to  the  door,  stood 
a  crowd  of  servitors  gaily  dressed,  holding  lamps  in  their 
hands,  and  receiving  the  guests  with  low  salaams. 

Once  arrived  in  the  reception-hall,  the  spectacle  was  even 
more  novel.  All  round  the  apartment  were  velvet  couches, 
with  comfortable  pillows,  on  which  guests  were  comfortably 
reclining.  Servants  were  moving  swiftly  about,  handing  iced 
water,  sherbets,  cheroots,  and  hookahs  :  at  one  end  of  the 
apartment  was  a  mellow-toned,  mechanical  organ,  which  played 
English  airs  very  prettily  and  very  softly,  while  through  a 
doorway,  partially  covered  with  a  curtain,  we  could  see  into  the 
interior  of  another  saloon,  and  there  descry  a  party  of  singing 
girls  and  instrumentalists.  Just  then  our  host,  followed  by  the 
males  of  his  household,  entered  the  reception-hall,  and  gave  to 
everybody  a  welcome ;  then,  taking  one  of  our  party  by  the 
hand,  he  led  him  through  the  curtain,  and  so  into  the  inner 
room  of  which  we  had  just  had  a  glimpse,  while  the  rest  were 


20  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

led  in  like  manner  by  the  members  of  his  family.  In  this 
apartment,  we  now  found,  two  girls  were  seated  on  cushions 
placed  on  the  floor,  accompanied  by  four  male  musicians,  one  of 
whom  played  a  small  description  of  kettledrum  attached  to  his 
waistband,  two  having  instruments  somewhat  similar  to  a 
hurdy-gurdy  in  their  hands,  while  the  fourth  had  a  tambourine. 
I  do  not  trouble  you  with  the  native  names  of  these  instru- 
ments, as  the  mere  concurrence  of  letters  would  convey  no  idea 
to  the  mind. 

So  soon  as  everybody  was  seated,  some  on  couches  and  some 
on  cushions,  a  signal  was  given  by  the  host,  the  girls  and 
musicians  stood  up,  and  at  once  began.  I  had  been  previously 
told  that  these  were  two  of  the  best  singing  girls  in  Bombay, 
and  that,  in  fact,  they  sang  almost  as  well  as  the  best  male 
singers,  which  it  appeared  was  a  tremendous  compliment  to 
pay  them.  Imagine  my  astonishment,  then,  when  I  found  that 
in  singing  they  absolutely  closed  the  nose  from  all  participation 
in  the  sound,  thus  giving  to  the  music  what  we  very  erroneously 
call  a  "nasal"  sound  of  the  most  extraordinary  description.  Yet 
when  the  ear  once  became  accustomed  to  the  strange  thumping 
of  the  drum,  the  harsh  noises  drawn  by  the  bows  of  the  players 
from  the  hurdy-gurdies,  the  shaking  of  the  tambourine,  and  the 
jingling  of  little  bells  which  the  girls  wore  on  their  ankles  and 
wrists,  it  was,  after  all,  by  no  means  an  unpleasant  sound. 
Indeed,  the  song  was  plaintive,  pitched  in  a  minor  key,  and 
often  sung  very  softly  ;  the  instruments,  albeit  that  they  were 
apparently  somewhat  rudely  constructed,  maintaining  all  the 
while  a  weird,  moving  sound,  which  harmonised  with  the  sing- 
ing and  sustained  the  voices.  Every  now  and  then  the  girls, 
who  were  very  richly  dressed  in  scarlet  and  gold,  whose  heads 
were  covered  with  gauze  of  gold  thread,  and  whose  long  dresses 
were  of  plaid,  also  heavily  trimmed  with  golden  lace,  would  dance 
slowly,  continuing  their  singing  meanwhile.  Then  one  would 
leave  off,  and  the  other  would  begin  a  slow  movement,  which, 


SOCIAL   LIFE   IN  BOMBAY.  21 

though  very  graceful,  doubtless  was  somewhat  monotonous. 
Occasionally  one  of  the  men  behind — a  very  accomplished  singer, 
I  believe,  but  certainly  the  owner  of  one  of  the  most  hideous 
faces  I  had  ever  seen — would  catch  up  the  refrain,  and  shout 
out,  in  the  same  nasal  tone,  a  verse  or  two  of  the  song,  where- 
upon the  girls  would  both  shuffle  about  a  little — I  can  scarcely 
call  their  movements  dancing — and  the  man  with  the  drum 
would  thump  away  with  increased  energy. 

This,  then,  was  the  terrible  nautch  dance  of  which  we  had 
heard  so  much  in  England.  But  perhaps  the  reader  will  say 
that  the  songs  were  objectionable.  To  this  I  can  reply  that  the 
most  uproarious  and  most  mirthful  one  that  we  heard  that 
evening  was  the  Persian  song,  "  Tazah  ba  tazah,  nu  ba  nu " 
(Fresh  and  fresh,  new  and  new),  a  pleasant  chant,  in  which  the 
hearer  is  recommended  to  apply  the  principles  of  fresh  and  new 
to  all  he  does,  whether  in  drinking  wine,  making  friends,  or 
making  love.  Rather  did  the  singing  incline  one  to  melancholia, 
particularly  when  the  possessor  of  the  objectionable  countenance 
shouted  out,  and  the  drum  was  beaten  more  violently  than 
usual.  Still,  there  was  no  doubt  that  the  Mohammedans — staid 
old  gentlemen,  smoking  their  pipes  and  cheroots,  and  occasion- 
ally sipping  coffee  or  iced  water — enjoyed  it  thoroughly,  and 
that  the  entertainment  was  looked  upon  as  exceptionally  lively, 
and,  indeed,  as  almost  a  gala  performance.  And  when,  now 
and  then,  the  girls  lifted  up  the  ends  of  their  veils,  and  disclosed 
fully  to  view  their  by  no  means  handsome  faces,  this  digression 
from  ordinary  usage  was  evidently  regarded  as  a  mark  of  great 
complacency,  and  was  appreciated  accordingly. 

At  length  we  intimated  our  desire  to  depart ;  whereupon  our 
host,  after  some  little  remonstrance  at  our  inconsiderate  haste 
— we  had  only  listened  to  the  monotonous  dirge  for  two  hours 
— made  a  sign  to  the  bearer  of  atter  and  pan ;  whereupon  two 
men  came  up,  one  carrying  a  basket  of  flowers  in  his  hand  and 
the  other  a  tray  of  betel-nuts  and  pan-leaves,  and  in  a  few 


22       WITH   THE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

moments  we  were  sitting  with  garlands  of  richly-perfumed 
blossoms  around  our  necks,  and  huge  bouquets  in  our  hands  ; 
while  the  host  sprinkled  us  with  scent,  presented  us  with  two 
bottles  of  otto  of  roses  apiece,  a  leaf  of  pan  and  betel-nut,  and 
the  customary  spoonful  of  scented  liquid  called  attar.  Then, 
with  many  bows,  we  were  led  to  the  door,  and  so  dismissed. 

Next  morning,  at  a  very  early  hour,  I  started,  in  company 
with  Mr.  Arthur  Crawford,  several  years  the  Municipal  Com- 
missioner of  Bombay,  and  now  political  agent,  collector,  and 
magistrate  with  the  Hubshee,  to  look  at  the  Grand  Bombay 
Markets,  which  were  erected  by  him,  and  are  still  called  by  his 
name.  To  see  them  in  their  full  swing  it  was  necessary  to  go 
there  betimes ;  for,  as  in  Covent  Garden  the  produce  is  received 
at  a  very  early  hour,  so  here,  as  well  as  there,  it  is  sold  quickly, 
and  the  dealers  disappear.  A  somewhat  lengthy  drive  brought 
us  to  the  outside  of  the  building,  a  large  and  stately  edifice, 
covering  a  wide  expanse  of  ground,  and  boasting  a  verdant 
quadrangle  and  a  fountain  such  as  we  have  not  anywhere  in 
England.  On  the  outside  was  the  name  of  Arthur  Crawford, 
"  writ  large  f  and  no  sooner  did  the  good  people  of  the  market 
descry  their  benefactor,  than,  with  great  show  of  respect  and 
even  affection,  they  made  a  path  for  him  through  the  hundreds 
of  buyers  who  were  already  at  the  stalls.  I  have  called  Mr. 
Crawford  a  benefactor,  not  because  he  spent  his  own  money, 
but  because  in  six  or  seven  years  he  disbursed  more  than  three 
millions  sterling  of  the  public  funds  in  sanitary  and  public 
works,  and  because,  as  a  result,  Bombay  possesses  a  finer 
market  than  London,  is  cleaner  than  any  Eastern  city  I  have 
yet  seen,  has  its  abattoirs  far  from  inhabited  places,  and  is  one 
of  the  best  administered  under  our  rule  in  the  East. 

Would  that  I  could  present  these  "  bazaars  "  to  your  eyes  as 
they  appeared  a  few  mornings  since !  A  magnificent,  double, 
iron  roof,  covering  fifty-six  thousand  square  feet  of  space, 
supported  on  tastefully-designed,  iron  columns,  and  pleasantly 


SOCIAL   LIFE   IN  BOMBAY.  23 

decorated ;  beneath  it  hundreds  of  stalls,  displaying  everything 
edible  that  Bombay  can  boast  for  sale.  Four  thoroughfares 
were  apportioned  to  the  sale  of  fruit  alone ;  and  as  we  passed 
between  these  lines  of  admirably-arranged  stalls,  we  found 
Mussulman  and  Hindoo  salesmen  squatting  upon  cushions  in 
the  centre  of  oranges,  plantains,  pummelos,  melons,  nectarines, 
guavas,  and  apples.  I  never  saw  half  such  a  supply  of  rich, 
juicy  fruit  heaped  together  before.  Piles  of  rosy  pomegranates, 
luscious  apples,  shaddocks,  peaches,  and  pistachio  nuts,  all  were 
there.  They  were  displayed  in  pyramids,  in  circles,  in  squares, 
with  rich,  green  leaves  between  them,  so  that  it  would  be  well 
nigh  impossible  to  pass  on  and  buy  nothing.  And  then,  leaving 
these,  we  came  upon  the  flower  market,  with  its  jessamines, 
verbenas,  roses,  and  tropical  blossoms  of  a  hundred  kinds. 
Flowers  had  been  precious  lately  in  Bombay — doubly  so  because 
of  the  demand  consequent  on  the  fetes  and  their  scarcity  in  the 
Presidency  itself  at  this  time  of  the  year — and  round  the  women 
and  men  who  made  the  garlands  stood  a  clamouring,  heated 
crowd.  Yet,  as  we  went  along,  bouquets  of  exquisite  loveliness 
were  offered  us,  and  were  pressed  upon  our  acceptance.  The 
air  was  laden  with  the  delicious  perfume  of  these  Eastern  flowers, 
and  the  seven  thousand  square  feet  of  blossoms  presented  a 
sight  to  which  our  European  eyes  were  wholly  unused.  But, 
if  these  were  delightful  to  the  vision,  the  vegetables  and  spices 
which  covered  thirty-five  thousand  square  feet  of  stalls  were  more 
practical.  All  kinds  of  "  herbs  for  the  use  of  man,"  all  sorts  of 
pleasant  accompaniments  for  meat  or  ingredients  for  soup,  every 
variety  of  tuber  or  edible  grass  were  here.  These,  also,  were 
stacked  with  marvellously  good  taste  ;  round  them  the  natives 
swarmed  with  baskets  and  cloths,  while  in  charge  of  them  were 
merchants  in  most  picturesque  costume,  who  laboured  hard  to 
be  rid  of  their  wares,  and  to  quit  the  market.  Then  there  were 
stalls  for  the  sale  of  tobacco,  for  the  vending  of  spices,  for  the 
serving  of  butter — on  green  leaves  again — and  the  distribution 


24  WITH  THE  PHINCE  IN  INDIA. 

of  flour  and  bread.  Round  the  sides  of  the  market  were  shops, 
moreover,  in  which  were  retailed  European  goods  and  Chinese 
produce,  so  that  in  this  great  hive  of  commerce  all,  save  meat 
and  fish,  could  be  procured,  even  to  articles  of  clothing  and 
ornamentation.  Indeed,  had  we  been  devotionally  inclined,  a 
gentleman  was  ready  to  sell  us  for  three-halfpence  an  offering  of 
incense  to  the  gods,  a  present,  and  four  kinds  of  paint  where- 
with to  decorate  our  foreheads,  and  give  ourselves  a  very 
religious  appearance. 

Crossing  the  square  in  the  centre  of  the  market-place,  we 
now  came  upon  the  stalls  in  which  beef  is  sold — the  abomina- 
tion of  the  Hindoo,  but  the  delight  of  Englishman  and  Mussul- 
man. And  as  to  see  a  slaughtered  ox  is  an  offence  to  the 
Hindoo,  we  found  screens  put  up  at  the  doorways,  so  that 
passing  religionists  should  not  be  troubled  by  the  sight  of  a 
piece  of  beef.  Only  Mussulmans  kept  the  stalls  in  this  market, 
and  they  were  surrounded  only  by  Mussulmans  or  Europeans, 
while  over  every  stall  was  the  name  of  its  owner  in  English 
and  Hindustani  characters.  So,  too,  mainly  in  the  market 
where  mutton  is  sold,  there  were  nearly  all  followers  of  the 
Prophet,  it  being  a  tenet  of  Brahminism  that  the  destruction 
of  life  is  a  sin. 

But,  if  the  inspection  of  the  market  was  instructive  as  show- 
ing what  individual  effort  and  energy  could  realize,  the  sights 
which  followed  were  not  less  amusing.  I  have  said  the  day 
was  yet  young  when  we  started  on  our  tour ;  those  who  know 
India  will  be  aware  that  this  was  just  the  time  for  visiting  a 
Hindoo  temple.  Thus  it  was  that  on  our  turning  through  a 
somewhat  narrow  doorway  we  found  ourselves  in  a  huge  court- 
yard, crowded  with  people.  On  th'e  immediate  right  was  a 
tree,  under  the  shade  of  which  sat  a  number  of  "  holy  men." 
With  the  Hindoos  holiness  and  dirtiness  are  almost  synony- 
mous, and  certainly  these  were  the  worst-washed  men  J  ever 
saw.    With  the  contents  of  a  great  pot  of  ashes  they  had  be- 


SOCIAL   LIFE   IN  BOMBAY.  25 

smeared  not  only  their  countenances,  but  the  whole  of  their 
bodies ;  with  big  pieces  of  rope  they  had  tied  their  already  mat- 
ted hair  into  knots,  and  thus  heightened  their  natural  ugliness. 
They  had  used  red  and  yellow  paint  wherever  those  pigments 
would  serve  to  render  them  less  attractive  in  appearance,  and 
they  had  squatted  down  in  a  puddle  of  very  holy  mud,  and 
were  just  then  eating  the  offerings  of  the  faithful.  Yet  they 
were  apparently  greatly  revered  and  beloved.  There  was  a 
tender-hearted,  old  gentleman,  with  a  great  basket  of  sweet- 
meats and  cakes,  giving  them  all  a  good  breakfast  when  we 
entered.  The  copper  cans  which  lay  about  on  the  ground  near 
the  puddle  were  full  of  annas  and  pice ;  they  even  had  a  good 
supply  of  pan  and  betel-nut ;  and,  as  though  holiness  with  con- 
tentment were  great  gain,  they  were  as  stout  as  they  were  godly. 
I  gave  the  most  sacred  among  them  two  annas,  whereupon  he 
rolled  a  leaf  of  pan  and  offered  it  to  me,  and,  when  I  declined 
the  tempting  morsel,  placed  it  in  his  own  mouth,  tinkled  a  little 
bell,  put  his  hands  to  his  face  and  uttered  a  prayerful  groan, 
and  then  sat  down  in  the  mud  once  more  and  looked  happy. 
I  should  say,  at  a  rough  guess,  that  the  holiness  on  that  man 
was  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick. 

I  have  mentioned  the  tinkling  of  a  bell;  there  were  a  good 
many  bells  tinkling  just  then;  for  on  the  side  of  the  entrance 
opposite  that  in  which  the  holy  men  sat  was  the  Temple  of 
Mombadevi.  In  front  of  the  temple  doors  were  a  large  num- 
ber of  pigeons — some  hundreds  I  should  suppose — as  fat,  as 
well  cared  for,  and  quite  as  tame  as  the  pigeons  of  the  Piazza 
di  San  Marco  in  Venice,  and  as  sacred  as  the  gentlemen  in  the 
mud  puddle  \  also  five  or  six  sacred  buffaloes,  a  dozen  sacred 
goats,  two  very  sacred  but  apparently  very  mischievous 
monkeys,  and  a  sacred  donkey.  On  the  steps  of  the  temple 
the  people  congregated,  going  in,  first  to  one  shrine  and  pray- 
ing, and  then  to  another.  When  they  had  prayed  satisfac- 
torily and  given  an  offering  to  a  deity,  they  rang  a  bell  which 

2 


26  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

liung  suspended  in  front  of  the  shrine,  and  went  away  quite 
pleased. 

I  noticed  two  things  of  interest,  the  first  being  that  at  one 
shrine  they  were  worshipping  a  picture — without  at  all  know- 
ing what  it  represented — of  the  Madonna  and  Child ;  the  second 
that  some  of  the  shrines  were  more  fashionable  than  others. 
There  was  a  lovely  idol,  with  a  head  like  an  ourang-outang, 
ears  nearly  a  yard  long,  four  arms,  eight  legs,  and  a  couple  of 
mouths,  which  was  quite  deserted,  and  only  got  two  bundles 
of  pan  and  a  banana  during  the  morning ;  while  a  rival,  who 
looked  like  a  tipsy  lion,  with  a  moustache  resembling  Victor 
Emmanuel's,  slightly  turned  up  at  the  ends,  a  long  Dundreary 
pair  of  whiskers  gracefully  curled,  six  eyes  placed  in  good  and 
useful  positions,  three  tails,  and  only  two  legs,  was  "  making  a 
mint  of  money."  The  fates  were  unkind  and  unjust.  There 
were  plenty  of  bells  in  front  of  the  ourang-outang-like  god,  yet 
nobody  rang  them ;  a  very  holy  man  sat  at  the  shrine,  yet  no- 
body went  there.  There  was  even  a  bench  on  which  the  faith- 
ful could  rest  while  they  prepared  their  offerings,  yet  nobody 
sat  on  it;  while  the  lion  that  possessed  the  moustache  and 
whiskers  received  the  fat  of  the  land,  was  accosted  by  devo- 
tional ladies  and  gentlemen  every  minute,  and  had  enough 
offerings  in  front  of  him  to  warrant  the  belief  that  the  priest 
who  attended  to  his  shrine  must  live  happily  the  day  through, 
and  altogether  enjoy  what  the  Americans  call  "a  very  good 
time  of  it." 

This  was  not  all,  however,  that  this  religious  spot  afforded. 
Past  the  tree,  and  still  in  front  of  the  temple,  was  a  huge  tank, 
three  hundred  yards  square,  or  thereabouts,  and  in  it  hundreds 
of  Hindoo  women  were  bathing  in  honour  of  their  religion. 
There  they  were,  painting  and  washing,  washing  and  painting, 
fulfilling  a  religious  duty  and  performing  a  very  sanitary  act 
at  the  same  time.  A  profane  person  might  have  perchance 
wished  that  the  holy  men  under  the  tree  might  have  been 


SOCIAL   LIFE   IN   BOMBAY.  27 

pitched  into  the  water  too.  But  that  would  have  probably 
shocked  those  holy  men's  nerves,  and  so  rendered  them  less 
good  and  admirable  than  now.  Mr.  Crawford  said  that  he 
should  like  to  pull  down  the  wretched  shanties  which  sur- 
round the  tank,  and  make  in  their  stead  a  fine  public  garden. 
But  at  present  this  will  not  be  done,  and  Mombadevi  Tank 
must  be  let  alone. 

Needless  is  it  to  describe  two  other  temples  that  we  visited ; 
but  a  word  should  not  be  omitted  respecting  a  religious  institu- 
tion through  which  we  passed.  I  have  mentioned  that  a  large 
number  of  Hindoos  believe  in  the  sanctity  of  life  of  every  kind, 
and  it  was  to  visit  an  establishment  belonging  to  this  sect  that 
we  now  entered  a  gateway  not  far  from  the  Mombadevi  Temple. 
A  curious  sight  at  once  presented  itself.  Hundreds  of  cows 
and  buffaloes  were  enclosed  within  one  set  of  rails,  hundreds  of 
goats  within  another.  All  kinds  of  animals  had  pens  appointed 
them  and  people  to  tend  them.  "We  have  in  London  a  Home 
for  Dogs,  about  which  a  good  deal  the  reverse  of  complimentary- 
lias  at  different  times  been  written,  and  not  without  cause. 
Stray  dogs,  unruly  dogs,  sick  dogs,  are  all  received,  yet  some- 
how or  other  they  disappear,  are  sold,  strangled,  or  poisoned  in 
this  "  Home  "  of  theirs.  Here,  however,  is  a  real  home  for  the 
maimed,  the  blind,  the  starving,  and  the  old.  When  a  Hindoo 
has  a  horse  which  he  finds  too  ill  or  too  old  for  work,  it  is  sent 
here,  and  thence  to  pastures  in  the  country;  cows  that  will 
give  milk  no  longer,  goats  that  are  useless,  dogs  that  are  tooth- 
less, and  even  monkeys  that  are  too  old  to  chatter  or  to  climb, 
are  placed  here,  too,  and  all  carefully  tended  till  they  die. 
So  sacred  is  the  charge  that  voluntarily  do  Hindoos  support  it 
by  a  self-imposed  tax;  so  good  is  it  considered  to  feed  these 
poor  animals  that  carts  of  hay  are  continually  coming  in  for 
their  sustenance,  and  pious  old  men  attend  and  distribute  the 
provender.  When  we  were  in  the  place,  cows  that  had  re- 
covered from  their  illness  were  eating  the  sweet  hay  which  lay 


28  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

near  them  in  profusion,  with  the  greatest  satisfaction ;  the  goats 
that  were  pronounced  well  were  feasting  and  gambolling  j  sick 
dogs  had  savoury  messes,  dogs  that  were  not  sick  were  equally 
well  fed,  and  the  monkeys  were  evidently  as  happy  as  their 
cramps  and  cranks  would  allow.  "  I  doctor,  sar,"  said  a  dusky 
gentleman  with  a  walking-cane,  who  came  up  to  us  while  we 
were  looking  at  his  horses ;  "  and  I  keep  loving  animals  very 
much."  "  Keep  loving  them  as  much  as  you  can,"  was  the  re- 
ply of  my  companion,  "  and  then  you'll  go  straight  to  heaven 
some  day."  "  Yes,  sar,"  said  the  doctor,  and  forthwith  evinced 
his  "  love  "  for  animals  by  stroking  a  huge  buffalo  that  stood 
close  by,  and  giving  it  a  great  handful  of  grass." 


CHAPTER  III, 

RECEPTIONS   OP   RAJAHS. 

"Chairs  for  the  Guicowar  and  the  Maharajah  I  Make  way 
rhere,  please  I"  An  official,  a  very  courteous,  but  very  energetic 
one,  Mr.  Lee  Warner,  Under-Secretary  of  the  Presidency  of 
Bombay,  dressed  in  full  Court  uniform,  is  directing  the  move- 
ments of  a  slender  Hindoo  who,  besides  bearing  a  huge,  red 
turban,  in  shape  and  size  very  like  a  lady's  sunshade,  is  struggl- 
ing along  under  two  cane-seated  chairs  on  the  outskirts  of  a 
most  brilliant  throng.  The  locale  is  the  Boree  Bunder  railway 
station;  the  occasion,  Lord  Northbrook's  arrival  in  Bombay. 
To  meet  the  Viceroy  are  gathered  together  in  that  little  ter- 
minus all  the  rank  and  power  of  North-Western  India.  Should 
(  give  you  a  list  of  their  names  and  titles  you  would  have  a 
lengthy  collection  of  extraordinary  words.  I  could  tell  from 
an  official  list,  which  has  been  published,  the  exact  oumber  of 
followers  each  one  has,  and  the  number  of  u  guns "  to  which 
each  is  entitled.  But  for  many  reasons  I  forbear.  Mingled 
with  the  chieftains  and  sirdars  are  a  large  number  of  officers 
\rom  the  fleet,  all  in  full-dress  uniform, '  military  officers  in 
scarlet,  clergymen  in  their  robes,  and  Political  Residents  in 
Court  dress. 

A  picturesque  crowd  is  that  which  is  thus  shut  in  from  th« 
front  of  the  platform  by  a  cord  of  blue,  fit  subject  for  the 
minutest  of  painters ;  yet,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  no  painter  is  pre- 
sent. I  am  alone  on  the  red  carpet^on  which  the  Viceroy  is 
presently  to  stand  when  he  reaches  Bombay,  without  even  so 
much  as  a  railway  official  to  keep  me  in  countenance.  Rail- 
way policemen  are  here,  it  is  true,  but  they  are  on  the  lines. 


30  WITH  THE  FEINCE  IN  INDIA. 

Long  lines  of  soldiery  hold  the  way  to  the  station,  but  the  y  are 
in  the  road.  Other  spectators  are  looking  on  beside  the  fashion- 
able crowd  behind  the  rope,  but  they  are  on  the  tops  of  goods ; 
others  on  the  walls  round  about,  chattering,  gesticulating, 
fighting,  wondering — these  natives  of  India  waiting  for  their 
ruler. 

It  was  for  no  idle  purpose  that  the  chairs  were  brought  for 
which  Mr.  Lee  Warner  begged  a  way.  In  the  centre  of  yon 
brilliant  gathering  stand  two  little  boys,  each  dressed  in  black 
velvet,  grandly  ornamented  with  diamonds,  and  attended  by  a 
large  number  of  followers.  In  point  of  age  they  seem  to  be 
respectively  thirteen  and  nine  years  old.  They  are  clearly 
princes  in  rank,  and,"  indeed,  the  greatest  here.  The  taller  one 
is  as  dignified  a  little  ruler  as  was  ever  seen.  He  holds  his 
head  erect,  and  stands  in  front  of  his  followers  and  by  the  side 
of  Mr.  Dalyel,  the  Commissioner,  with  all  the  conscious  pride 
that  the  greatest  potentate  in  the  world  could  command.  And 
not  altogether  without  reason,  for  he  is  the  Maharajah  of 
Mysore,  has  a  wide  tract  of  country,  and  a  huge  revenue,  and 
succeeds  to  a  stately  home  and  princely  inheritance.  In  facial 
expression  he  is  almost  the  very  image  of  Madame  Adelina 
Patti — handsome,  sharp-eyed,  and  graceful.  Round  his  neck 
are  strings  of  pearls  and  diamonds  of  immense  value ;  his  wrists 
are  encircled  by  bracelets,  even  his  ankles  are  enveloped  in 
jewels,  and  from  the  little  turban  which  has  been  placed  in 
coquettish  style  upon  his  head  there  shoots  an  aigrette  of  preci- 
ous stones  such  as  Nasr-Ed-Din  of  Persia  would  gaze  at  with 
amazement.  His  Royal  brother  is  the  smallest  specimen  of 
sovereignty  I  have  ever  seen,  yet  he  is  even  more  important  in 
vice-regal  eyes,  for  this  is  the  Guicowar  of  Baroda.  If  he  of 
Mysore  is  radiant  with  jewels,  this  royal  seedling  from  Baroda 
is  more  magnificent  still.  On  his  neck  and  breast,  his  turban, 
and  his  very  shoes,  everywhere  glisten  diamonds,  emeralds, 
rubies,  and  pearls.     He  is  well  aware  of  his  own  importance ; 


RECEPTIONS   OF  RAJAHS.  31 

and,  though  not  so  old  as  his  Mysore  rival,  acts  his  part  well. 
And  when  the  chairs  are  brought  and  the  two  sit  down,  each 
eyes  the  other  with  great  curiosity — perhaps  also  mentally 
placing  a  valuation  on  the  other's  jewels — and  then  each  turns 
his  head  away  with  an  expression  very  like  contempt. 

At  length  the  Rajahs,  chieftains  and  sirdars  are  all  in  the 
station,  and  have  taken  their  places;  and  the  Governor  of  Bom- 
bay steps  on  to  the  red  carpet,  followed  by  his  son,  who  is  his 
private  secretary.  The  naval  officers  are  also  asked  to  step  on 
to  the  carpet,  and  some  of  the  principal  authorities  of  the  town 
are  likewise  invited  to  this  place  of  distinction.  There  they  all 
stand  for  a  few  minutes,  during  which  the  Viceroy's  train  is 
signalled  from  Byculla.  That  there  should  be  late  arrivals  was, 
of  course,  to  be  expected.  And  I  grieve  to  say  that  one  of 
them  was  a  judge — not  a  judge  such  as  we  see  in  England,  clad 
in  scarlet,  and  wearing  a  long  wig,  or  even  dressed  in  ermine, 
with  a  short  wig ;  but  a  funny,  old  gentleman  of  olive  colour, 
with  a  red  turban  on  his  head,  and  his  nether  limbs  encased  in 
a  starched,  white  petticoat.  Very  stout,  very  brown,  this  funny, 
old  man  shuffles  into  the  roped  space,  and,  clasping  his  hands 
together,  awaits  the  Governor-General.  Then  a  ridiculous,  old 
person,  with  a  Mahratta  turban,  puts  in  an  appearance.  One 
wonders  why  such  grotesque,  old  people  should  be  allowed  to 
spoil  the  general  harmony  of  the  scene.  Yet  they  turn  up 
everywhere — at  durbars,  at  ceremonies  of  all  kinds — just  when 
one  is  most  admiring  everything,  and  thinking  how  much  more 
picturesque  it  all  is  than  any  sight  in  England ;  and  with  their 
ugly  faces  and  uglier  head-dresses,  their  extraordinary  petti- 
coats, yellow  stockings,  and  bootless  feet,  lower  the  scene  from 
the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous,  and  make  the  beholder  almost 
mad  with  disappointment.  These  turbans  of  theirs  are  as  large 
as  an  ordinary  umbrella,  and  contain  eighty  yards  of  thin 
riband ;  they  are  generally  pink  or  scarlet,  have  a  little  emi- 
nence in  the  centre,  which  looks  like  an  intoxicated  cone,  and 


32  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

then  bulge  out  over  the  ear  and  shoulder  in  the,  strangest  pos- 
sible style.  Why  does  not  somebody  seize  this  latest  arrival  at 
the  station  and  bundle  him  out !  He  spoils  the  whole  scene, 
and  troubles  the  spectator  exceedingly. 

By  this  time,  however,  the  viceregal  engine  is  in  sight,  and 
there  is  no  time  to  turn  anybody  out.  Besides  which  it  is  an 
engine  to  regard  with  awe  and  admiration.  I  remember  once 
at  Sheffield  seeing  an  official  with  a  white  wand,  who  had  de- 
puted himself  to  receive  the  Prince  of  Wales,  make  a  profound 
obeisance  to  a  goods  engine.  Onlookers  laughed,  but  excused 
the  blunder  on  the  ground  that  the  gentleman  meant  well. 
Here,  however,  is  an  engine  he  might  bow  to  without  being 
laughed  at.  It  is  immense  in  size  ;  it  is  brilliantly  painted ; 
round  the  funnel  are  garlands  of  flowers,  and  on  its  front,  in 
golden  colours,  is  the  royal  coat  of  arms.  Nobody  does  bow  to 
it;  but  that  is  because  the  Viceroy's  carriage  is  just  behind,  and 
his  Excellency  is  stepping  out,  so  that  everybody  is  making  a 
bow  to  Lord  Nbrthbrook,  and  thinking  nothing  about  the  en- 
gine at  all.  And  as  there  is  no  one  with  a  white  wand  here, 
no  officious  person,  no  meddler  or  muddler,  everything  goes 
easily  and  pleasantly.  The  Viceroy  goes  at  once  to  the  two 
Princes,  who  have  been  favoured  with  the  chairs,  and  shakes 
hands  with  them.  Then  he  grasps  the  hand  of  the  Maharana 
of  Oodeypore,  who  is  close  by,  and  then  that  of  the  Rajah  of 
Kholapore,  and  so  passes  all  down  the  station,  while  the  band 
outside  plays  "  God  save  the  Queen,"  and  the  troops  present 
arms  Carriages  drive  up  and  drive  away,  and  in  half  an  hour 
the  station  platform,  which  just  now  contained  so  brilliant  a 
throng,  is  deserted. 

And  now  let  me  describe  another  scene,  more  imposing  and 
more  important,  more  interesting  also,  as  being  exactly  similar 
to  one  in  which  the  Prince  of  Wales  himself  took  part  a  few 
days  later  on.  It  was  late  on  the  Tuesday  night  before  the 
Prince  landed,  when  I  received  an  invitation  from  the  secretary 


RECEPTIONS    OF   RAJAHS.  33 

of  the  Viceroy,  Captain  Evelyn  Baring,  to  breakfast  at  Malabar 
Point,  the  temporary  residence  of  Lord  Northbrook,  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning.  There  was,  however,  in  the  note  even  more  than 
this,  for  it  contained  a  postscript  with  the  information  that  his 
Excellency  would  receive  the  principal  chieftains  at  present  in 
Bombay  in  the  audience  room  of  Government  House,  at  seven 
a.m.  SucK  a  summons  could  not  be  lightly  valued,  and  I 
hastened  to  acknowledge  the  missive,  and  prepared  to  obey. 

The  daylight  had  not  appeared  when  I  found  myself  in  a 
gharry,  driven  by  an  ill-tempered  Mohammedan — ill-tempered 
because  awakened  early — towards  the  beautiful  bay  which  fronts 
Malabar  Hill.  Now  and  then  a  streak  of  sunshine  would  dart 
across  the  sky  and  the  sea,  telling  of  the  close  proximity  of  day. 
The  surf  was  breaking  on  the  land  with  a  sullen  roar,  but  not 
a  breath  of  air  could  be  felt  on  that  sultry  morning.  On  went 
the  grumbling  driver,  until  at  length  long  lines  of  troops  were 
descried,  native  infantry  with  arms  at  the  "  present,"  native 
cavalry  with  lances  held  aloft,  pennons  dangling  in  the  air,  and 
English  constables,  clad  in  white  clothes,  all  drawn  up  in  regu- 
lar order,  waiting  the  arrival  of  the  great  personages  who  were 
presently  to  come  to  visit  his  Excellency.  A  few  moments 
more,  when  the  sun  was  up,  scorching  everybody,  I  was  hasten- 
ing up  the  steps  of  Malabar  House.  On  seeing  a  place  for  a 
first  time,  the  eye  naturally  wanders  all  round.  Let  us  glance 
at  the  building  before  us.  On  the  broad  staircase  on  either  side 
are  soldiers  of  the  Viceroy's  body-guard.  Some  bear  halberds, 
some  lances,  some  swords ;  they  are  broad,  strong  men — few  of 
them  less  than  six  feet  in  height,  and  look  magnificent  in  their 
small,  striped  turbans,  their  long,  scarlet  coats,  and  golden 
waistbands.  Better  soldiers  than  these  cannot  be  found.  In 
the  mutiny  Lord  Canning  held  to  his  native  body-guard,  and 
refused  the  guard  of  English  troops ;  and  Lord  Northbrook 
still  refuses  to  believe  that  anything  can  be  safer  than  the  watch 
that  is  kept  by  his  stalwart  Punjabees.    On  arriving  at  the  top 


34  WITH  THE  FRINGE  IN  INDIA. 

we  are  at  once  on  a  broad,  covered  verandah,  extending  all 
round  the  house— a  delightful  retreat  from  the  rays  of  the  sun, 
and  just  now  full  of  a  welcome  breeze  which  has  suddenly 
sprung  up,  and  is  coming  in  from  the  sea.  Here,  again,  are 
soldiers  of  the  body-guard,  marking  the  entrance  to  the  State 
room  which  opens  on  to  the  verandah.  A  few  steps  bring  us 
into  the  very  centre  of  the  viceregal  Court,  all  ready  as  that 
Court  is  for  the  reception  of  the  Rajah  of  Kholapore,  who  is 
momentarily  expected. 

The  scene  is  extremely  impressive.  A  lofty  audience-chamber, 
with  two  marble  pillars  at  one  end,  cutting  off,  say,  a  fourth  of 
the  space,  and  thus  forming  a  kind  of  recess  for  the  throne ; 
this  throne,  just  now  occupied  by  Lord  Northbrook,  is  con- 
structed of  silver  and  gold,  having  a  golden  lion  for  one  arm  and 
a  golden  bull  for  another,  bearing  a  purple  and  golden  crown 
about  a  foot  above  the  back,  and  altogether  forming  one  of  the 
finest  State  chairs  ever  designed.  This  also  is  placed  upon  a 
dais  one  step  high.  On  the  right  hand  is  a  long  row  of  empty 
arm-chairs,  running  down  half  the  length  of  the  room  ;  on  the 
left  an  equal  number  of  chairs,  not  empty,  but  filled  by  officers 
in  brilliant  uniforms — Captain  Baring,  mentioned  before;  Colo- 
nel Earle,  the  admirable  Military  Secretary;  Mr.  C.  U.  Aitchi- 
son,  the  Foreign  Secretary ;  Major  Henderson,  acting  as  Assist- 
ant Foreign  Secretary — the  Viceroy's  personal  staff.  Behind 
the  throne  are  gathered  an  array  of  servants  picturesquely 
attired  in  bright,  red  uniforms  and  gold  and  white  turbans,  hold- 
ing up  scarlet  fans,  golden  umbrellas,  and  other  insignia  of 
Eastern  royalty.  Round  the  room  at  regular  intervals  are  more 
of  these  attendants,  bearing  maces  with  crowns,  and  elephants' 
heads  in  silver,  and  halberds.  But  by  far  the  most  important 
item  in  the  whole  room,  next  to  the  Viceroy  himself,  has  as  yet 
been  unnoticed,  although  upon  it  depends  more  than  would  be 
conveyed  in  the  strongest  letter  of  approval  or  dissatisfaction 
that  was  ever  penned  at  Calcutta  and  sent  to  a  native  prince. 


RECEPTIONS    OF   RAJAHS.  35 

At  first  glance  there  is  nothing  very  extraordinary  about 
it  either.  It  is  a  long,  oval  piece  of  crimson  with  a  golden 
border,  the  Royal  arms  being  in  the  centre.  Yet  how  far  the 
Viceroy  may  advance  on  that  carpet  when  about  to  meet  a 
guest  is  matter  for  serious  deliberation  and  special  notice  in 
the  "  Gazette."  Beyond  the  line  "  Dieu  et  mon  droit,"  in  pre- 
sence of  a  Nawab,  and  his  Excellency  would  raise  a  thousand 
jealousies,  make  said  Nawab  insane  with  delight,  and  lay  the 
foundation  for  a  series  of  troubles,  the  end  of  which  could  not  be 
predicted.  Stop  but  six  inches  from  the  edge  when  a  Guicowar 
or  a  Maharana  enters,  and  a  rebuke  would  be  conveyed  and  re- 
ceived of  profound  importance  and  meaning.  Even  the  num- 
ber of  steps  the  Viceroy  may  take  on  that  wonderful  rug-work 
are  defined  by  a  decree  in  council,  and  he  must  no  more  take 
five  when  three  are  ordered  than  the  officer  in  charge  of  yonder 
artillery  battery  just  preparing  to  fire  may  let  off  twenty-one 
guns  in  honour  of  the  Chief  of  Jamkhundee.  He  may  let  off 
two  less  than  that  number  in  honour  of  the  Rajah  of  Kholapore, 
and,  indeed,  is  now  preparing  to  do  so,  for  his  Highness, 
attended  by  nine  of  his  principal  sirdars  and  an  escort  of  cavalry, 
is  just  now  being  driven  at  a  great  rate  along  the  pathway  to 
the  house.  The  troops  are  presenting  arms,  and  the  band  is 
playing.  Bang  go  the  guns,  with  a  deafening  sound.  Two 
officers  run  down  the  steps,  and  the  ruler  of  Kholapore  is 
assisted  from  his  carriage  and  conducted  to  the  audience-cham- 
ber without  delay.  As  the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps  is 
heard,  the  Viceroy  rises  and  stands  upon  the  dais,  till  the  faces 
of  his  guests  are  seen  in  the  ante-room.  The  "  Gazette  "  order 
for  the  day  states  that  Lord  Northbrook  will  receive  his  High- 
ness "  at  the  edge  of  the  carpet,  and  conduct  him  to  a  seat  on 
his  right  hand,"  and  no  one  knows  all  this  better  than  the  Lilli- 
putian highness  now  entering  the  doorway.  Perhaps  it  is  the 
experienced  government  of  Mr.  Aitchison,  perhaps  the  jealous 
eye  of  the  boy-Prince,  which  regulates  the  steps  of  the  Kholo«pore 


36  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

party.  Anyhow,  the  youth  only  arrives  at  the  outer  edge  of 
the  carpet  at  the  precise  moment  when  the  Viceroy's  toe  touches 
the  inner  edge,  and  the  Viceroy's  extended  hand  reaches  into 
uncarpeted  space.  With  a  rapid  bow  the  little  Rajah  grasps 
his  Excellency's  fingers,  and  is  then  led  to  the  chair  covered 
with  golden  cloth — which  stands  next  the  dais  on  the  right,  and 
is  to  be  used  for  all  princes  who  come — followed  by  the  English 
officer  resident  at  his  Court,  and  his  sirdars,  all  of  them  portly 
men,  in  singular  costumes. 

As  soon  as  the  Rajah  is  seated,  we  are  at  liberty  to  criticise 
his  dress.  I  think  there  are,  if  possible,  more  diamonds  round 
that  little  neck  than  on  the  previous  day — larger  pearls  for 
bracelets  and  finer  rubies  as  earrings.  The  diamond  aigrette  in 
the  gold  turban  is,  moreover,  supplemented  by  another  tuft  of 
brilliants,  and  the  finger-rings  on  the  Royal  hands  are  more 
costly  than  before.  The  pale-faced  child  can  scarcely  weigh 
five  stone — diamonds,  clothes,  sword,  and  all ;  yet  there  he  sits, 
coolly  chatting  with  the  Viceroy,  and  now  and  then  sending  a 
glance  of  ineffable  contempt  round  the  room,  as  though  it  was 
not  a  bit  more  ornate  than  it  should  be,  considering  that  so  im- 
portant a  personage  as  himself  is  in  it  as  a  guest.  So  a  few 
minutes  pass,  and  then  Major  Henderson  rises,  and  with  a  bow, 
introduces  the  sirdars  to  the  Viceroy.  One  by  one  these  portly 
chieftains  rise,  and,  advancing  to  the  throne,  make  a  low 
obeisance,  and  hold  out  a  bag  of  gold  to  his  Excellency.  In 
times  gone  by  the  gold  would  scarcely  have  been  held  out  with 
safety.  An  emperor  of  Delhi  in  the  olden  time  would  probably 
have  not  only  taken  that,  but  demanded  a  good  deal  more.  In 
these  enlightened  times  the  Viceroy  only  touches  the  money,  the 
sirdar  shuffles  back  into  his  place,  and,  as  coin-carrying  is  not 
pleasant  to  an  indolent  person,  and  one  bag  of  money,  which  is 
only  to  be  touched  and  not  used,  is  as  good  as  twenty,  h5  simply 
transfers  the  bag  from  his  own,  yellow  handkerchief  to  the  red 
one  of  his  successor  in  homage,  and  so  the  money  goes  round. 


RECEPTIONS    OF  RAJAHS.  37 

"  Attar  and  pan  will  then  be  given  to  the  Rajah  by  the  Vice- 
roy himself,"  runs  the  circular.  Attar  and  pan  are  given  in 
consequence.  Two  bearers,  clad  in  scarlet,  enter  the  room  from 
a  side  door,  the  one  carrying  a  glass  bottle  on  a  silver  stand, 
the  other  some  gold  and  silver  leaved  packets  on  a  salver. 
Slowly  advancing  in  Indian  file,  they  stand  at  length  before  the 
Yiceroy,  who  rises,  and,  taking  from  the  bottle  a  silver  stick, 
conveys  a  drop  of  attar  of  roses  to  the  extended  handkerchief 
of  his  chief  guest.  Next  a  gilded  packet — it  contains  the  leaf 
called  pan,  some  betel-nut,  a  clove,  and  a  little  quicklime,  all 
admirably  adapted  for  chewing,  says  the  Hindoo — is  transferred 
by  Lord  Northbrook  to  the  right  hand  of  the  Rajah,  who,  after 
making  a  profound  bow,  hands  both  handkerchief  and  packet 
to  an  attendant.  The  sirdars  are  now  treated  in  similar 
fashion  by  the  Foreign  Secretary  and  his  assistant,  according  to 
heir  rank,  and  then,  at  a  signal,  all  rise,  the  Yiceroy  extends 
his  hand  to  the  Rajah,  and,  leading  him  to  the  very  edge  of  the 
carpet,  once  more  shakes  hands  with  him,  and  bids  him  adieu. 

But  a  greater  than  he  is  close  at  hand.  In  a  few  minutes 
fresh  artillery  salutes  announce  the  neAv  comer,  and  the  guard 
of  honour  has  scarcely  stacked  its  arms,  before  it  has  to  present 
them  once  more.  And  the  promptitude  is  not  without  reason. 
Chamrajendra  Hadiar  Bahadoor,  Maharajah  of  Mysore,  is 
driving  up  the  pathway — a  prince  entitled  to  a  salute  of  twenty- 
one  guns,  to  be  met  on  the  edge  of  the  carpet,  to  receive  attar 
and  pan  from  his  Excellency's  own  hands,  and  to  be  treated 
with  profoundest  respect  as  one  of  the  principal  rulers  of  India. 
Strange  to  say,  out  of  all  the  armed  retainers  who  accompany 
his  carriages  only  one  ascends  the  broad  staircase  with  the 
Prince  and  his  guardian  (Colonel  Malleson),  and  this,  a  fat,  old 
gentleman  in  a  starched  petticoat  and  stockings,  wearing  a 
curious  turban  of  yellow  calico,  and  carrying  a  big  bag  of  money 
as  "  nuzzar  "  for  the  Yiceroy.  His  Highness  is  dressed  just  as 
he  was  on  the  previous  day — in  black  velvet,  with  the  same 


38  WITB  THE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

turban  and  aigrette  of  brilliants,  the  same  splendid  necklace  and 
the  same  rings ;  on  his  left  arm,  however,  a  sparkling  armlet  of 
diamonds,  and  on  his  ankles  more  pearls  than  before.  He  is  a 
stately,  little  fellow,  this  Maharajah,  only  thirteen  years  old 
though  he  may  be ;  and  he  stops  at  the  edge  of  the  carpet  till 
the  Viceroy  reaches  it  with  all  the  dignity  of  a  great  sovereign, 
takes  his  place  in  the  chair  of  honour  as  though  it  were  the 
throne  of  Southern  India,  and  converses  with  the  Viceroy  with 
all  the  affability  and  ease  of  an  accomplished  man  of  the  world. 
His  reception  is  of  the  same  kind  as  that  of  his  predecessor ;  he 
takes  the  attar  and  pan,  and  is  gone. 

The  next  guest  is  the  Maharana  of  Oodeypore.  I  do  not 
know  how  many  books  have  been  written  to  prove  that  this 
gentleman  is  the  greatest  prince  in  India.  He  claims  to  rank 
above  the  Guicowarof  Baroda  and  Prince  of  Mysore,  and  to  re- 
ceive like  them,  a  Eoyal  salute  instead  of  only  a  welcome  of 
nineteen  guns.  He  is  the  head  of  the  Rajpoots — the  purest 
race  of  Hindoos — a  sacred  person  in  his  own  right,  and  the 
representative  of  the  only  dynasty  that  successfully  withstood 
the  victorious  emperors  of  Delhi  and  lesser  warriors  for  eight 
hundred  years.  For  the  rest,  he  is  a  stately,  young  man  of 
about  twenty-three  summers,  somewhat  badly  marked  by  small- 
pox, but,  for  all  that,  kingly  in  demeanour  and  not  unpleasing 
in  countenance.  He,  too,  is  received  at  the  edge  of  the  carpet, 
and  led  by  the  right  hand  to  the  place  of  honour  by  Lord 
Northbrook.  His  followers,  indeed,  hold  their  heads  as  high 
and  stride  along  as  proudly  as  though  they  were  all  kings  in 
their  own  right,  instead  of  tributary  princes.  Their  wonderful 
costumes  of  bright  green  and  gold,  their  white  turbans,  and 
their  jewels,  as  they  follow  their  master — who  wears  nothing 
but  white  linen,  and  boasts  only  two  or  three  large  diamonds — 
are  extremely  picturesque ;  and  when  they  come  forward  one 
after  another,  and  arc  presented  to  Lord  Northbrook,  bowing 
to  the  earth  and  kissing  the  tips  of  the  fingers  just  touched  by 


RECEPTIONS    OF  BAJAHS.  39 

bis  lordship,  their  appearance  is  not  less  effective.  They 
thought,  it  appears,  that  the  Viceroy  would  rise  to  receive 
them ;  but  England's  power  has  grown  while  theirs  has  de- 
creased, and  since  they  last  saw  the  Queen's  representative, 
times  have  changed,  and  they  now  only  obtain  a  gracious  nod, 
and  have  to  be  satisfied. 

The  same  ceremony  which  dismissed  the  brethren  of  Khola- 
pore  sends  them  away,  and  the  Rana  of  Oodeypore  is  succeeded 
by  the  Rao  of  Kutch.  This  good  gentleman,  despite  his 
brigand-like  appearance,  is  a  very  estimable  person,  rules  a 
large  State  wisely,  and  generally  steers  clear  of  difficulties  with 
the  Government.  At  first  glance  he  gives  one  the  impression 
of  a  very  lordly  individual  indeed — one,  in  fact,  who  might  be 
met  at  the  edge  of  any  carpet  in  the  world,  with  great  pro- 
priety. But  not  so.  The  line  in  the  middle  which  says  "Dieu 
et  mon  droit,"  might  so  far  as  he  is  concerned,  read  '  Kutch  et 
mon  droit,'  for  it  is  just  there  that  the  Viceroy  awaits  him,  and 
not  an  inch  nearer.  Moreover,  the  guns  outside  are  only  firing 
seventeen  rounds,  and  one  almost  imagines  that  the  band  left 
off  playing  a  little  sooner  than  before.  But  never  mind,  Rao 
Pragmul,*  you  are  bravely  attired  in  your  dark  green  velvet 
habit  and  light  blue  riband  over  the  heart ;  your  red  and  gold 
turban  is  exceedingly  becoming,  and  your  step  is  very  credit- 
able. It  is  a  pity  that  you  are  only  allowed  five  attendants, 
however,  for  more  of  such  dresses  might  easily  be  seen  with  an 
untired  eye.  The  hundred  and  one  gold  mohurs  which  the  Rao 
presents  being  touched,  and  a  short  conversation  over,  his 
Highness  is  led  down  to  the  centre  of  the  carpet  once  more,  and 
thence  to  the  doorway,  by  the  Foreign  Secretary. 

He  is  not  long  gone  before  an  unusual  stir  is  noticeable. 
Arms  !  Present  arms  !  Make  way  for  the  Guicowar's  horse- 
men and  carriages,  for,  to  the  sound  of  a  Royal  salute  and  a 
Eoyal  march,  the  protege  of  Sir  Richard  Meade  is  coming  along 
*  He  died  soon  after  the  Prince  left  Bombay. 


40  WITH  THE  PHINCE   IN  INDIA. 

the  pathway.  Men  of  the  body-guard  stiffen  in  position,  the 
viceregal  suite  is  in  its  place,  and  the  Viceroy  is  already  past 
the  middle  of  the  carpet  ere  the  little  Prince  is  through  the 
doorway.  Led  by  his  guardian,  he  steps  cautiously  forward,  so 
as  to  time  his  footsteps  to  those  of  the  Governor-General ;  and 
just  as  his  Excellency's  feet  are  at  the  edge,  this  Royal  waif  and 
stray,  this  little  King  by  accident,  stretches  out  his  hand,  and 
with  complete  calmness  thus  salutes  the  Viceroy.  His  stride 
along  the  carpet  to  his  chair  of  state  is  as  remarkable  as  his 
dress,  which  is  indeed  striking.  More  jewels  than  ever  glittered 
round  that  little  neck.  Nearly  four  hundred  thousand  pounds' 
worth  of  diamonds,  pearls,  rubies,  and  emeralds  adorn  the 
person  of  this  little  boy ;  such  an  aigrette  was  never  seen  in  any 
other  turban.  Some  English  ladies  whom  I  know,  and  who 
take  delight  in  jewellery  and  find  pleasure  in  brilliants,  would 
have  been  beside  themselves  with  joy  at  such  a  spectacle ;  even 
amongst  men  accustomed  to  such  sights  there  was  a  perceptible 
murmur  of  applause.  I  need  scarcely  say  that  twenty-one  guns 
saluted  this  important  item  of  sovereign  humanity,  that  attar 
and  pan  were  handed  him  by  the  Viceroy  with  all  respect,  and 
then  at  length  he  was  led  to  the  very  edge  of  the  carpet,  before 
being  handed  over  to  the  Foreign  Secretary,  and  taken  to  his 
carriage. 

Next  came  Sir  Salar  Jung,  the  guardian  of  the  Nizam  of 
Hyderabad.  So  remarkable  is  this  man  that,  although  he  is 
only  an  "  Excellency  "  and  by  no  means  Eoyal,  he  is  honoured 
with  twenty-one  guns,  and  received  in  the  centre  of  the  carpet. 
His  business  here  is  to  represent  the  Nizam,  who  is  actually 
too  ill  to  come.  The  resident  English  physician  has  declared 
against  the  young  Prince's  journey,  a  prolonged  illness  supports 
the  plea,  and  Sir  Salar  Jung  is  here  to  render  homage  for  him. 
Take  a  good  look  at  his  Excellency  as  he  sits  by  the  side  of  the 
Viceroy,  clad  in  simple  white  with  only  a  light  blue  riband 
across  his  breast.     In  appearance,  closely  cut  hah-  and  short 


RECEPTIONS  OF  BAJAHS.  41 

moustache,  he  is  very  like  Prince  Bismarck  ;  he  has  the  broad 
forehead  and  quick  eye  of  the  German  Chancellor,  and  is  appar- 
ently as  frank  as  he.  Men  who  know  him  well  speak  in  ad- 
miring tones  of  his  grasp  of  European  politics  ;  his  administra- 
tion of  the  wild  population  of  Hyderabad  shows  his  force  of 
character  and  strength  of  will.  If  Madava  Rao  is  the  first  of 
Hindoos,  Salar  Jung  is  the  premier  Mohammedan,  and  as  such 
is  esteemed  by  the  Government. 

But,  if  the  reception  given  to  the  chiefs  by  the  Viceroy  was 
grand,  their  reception  of  him  on  his  paying  return  visits  to 
them  was  no  less  striking.  I  do  not  refer  to  the  "  no-gun  men." 
They  were  asked  to  go  to  the  Government  Secretariat,  and  re- 
ceive the  Viceroy  there.  But  I  allude  to  the  Guicowar,  the 
Maharajah  of  Mysore,  the  Maharana  of  Oodeypore,  and  such 
dignitaries.  It  was  at  the  house  of  the  last-named  that,  by  the 
courteous  request  of  the  Viceroy,  I  found  myself  an  invited 
guest  a  few  minutes  before  his  Excellency  arrived.  It  was 
while  looking  round  on  this  extraordinary  assemblage  of  chiefs 
that  Colonel  Herbert — the  Political  Resident  at  Oodeypore — 
touched  me  on  the  arm  and  introduced  me  to  his  Highness,  who 
was  pleased  to  converse  in  very  good  English,  till  the  arrival  of 
the  Viceroy  was  announced  at  the  gate.  Then  the  chiefs  stood 
round  the  hall,  the  Maharana  advanced  to  the  Viceroy's  car- 
riage, and,  taking  his  Excellency  by  the  right  hand,  led  him  to 
a  couch  at  the  head  of  the  saloon,  and  gave  him  the  seat  of 
honour  as  to  a  superior  monarch.  Of  course  the  English 
officers  were  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Viceroy,  this  time  they 
being  the  guests.  Colonel  Herbert  now  came  forward  and  in- 
troduced each  chief  present  by  name  to  the  Governor-General, 
each  one  advancing  as  his  name  was  called  out,  and  offering  a 
"nuzzar,"  or  present,  which  the  Viceroy  formally  touched. 
Next  appeared  two  attendants  with  wreaths  of  flowers  for  the 
neck  of  the  Viceroy  and  his  suite,  bouquets,  moreover,  of  red 
flowers  for  their  hands,  attai  for  their  handkerchiefs,  and  pan 

3 


42  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

for  their  mouths  in  case  it  should  please  them  to  eat  it.  And 
all  these  being  presented  in  due  form,  the  whole  party  rose,  the 
Viceroy  was  again  led  to  the  door  by  the  Maharana,  the  band 
played,  the  troops  presented  arms,  and  the  visit  was  over.  This 
was  exactly  similar  to  all  the  other  return  visits  of  the  Viceroy  ; 
and  I  am  particular  in  thus  detailing  the  incidents,  as  they 
were  the  same  as  those  which  befel  the  Prince  afterwards. 

Having  on  the  following  Saturday  received  an  invitation  to 
visit  the  Maharajah  of  Mysore,  an  hour's  drive  brought  me  to 
Altamont,  the  house  which  has  been  engaged  for  his  Highness 
during  his  stay  in  Bombay,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  I  was 
in  company  with  the  highly  esteemed  Colonel  Malleson,  politi- 
cal agent  in  Mysore,  and  author  of  a  valuable  work  on  the 
Native  States  of  India,  and  Mr.  Dalyel,  administrator  of  the 
kingdom,  waiting  the  coming  of  the  Maharajah  in  the  recep- 
tion saloon.  A  more  happily  chosen  spot  for  the  court  of  a 
powerful  prince  could  scarcely  have  been  selected.  At  one 
end  of  the  hall,  which  would  comfortably  seat  some  hundreds 
of  people,  was  a  magnificently  carved  screen ;  in  front  of  this 
a  yellow  satin  and  gilded  couch  was  placed;  on  either  hand 
were  chairs  of  state,  running  down  half  the  length  of  the  room, 
placed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  accommodate  all  the  chiefs  of 
Mysore  when  in  council  assembled.  It  was  here  that  the 
Viceroy  was  received,  and  it  was  here  that  the  Prince  of 
Wales  would  make  his  call  early  the  next  week. 

On  a  table  to  the  right  of  the  couch  were  ranged  in  tempting 
array  the  presents  which  the  Maharajah  was  about  to  make  to 
the  Prince.  A  magnificently  embossed  cup  of  gold,  called 
"  Alexandra,"  and  made  many  years  ago  in  honour  of  the  mar- 
riage of  the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales,  stands  in  the  centre. 
The  history  of  this  cup  is  somewhat  singular.  A  short  time 
ago,  before  the  Prince's  visit  was  talked  of,  the  Maharajah  de- 
termined on  giving  it  as  a  prize  to  the  best  race-horse  in  his 
dominions,  in  honour  of  the  Princess  of  Wales.     The  race  was 


BECEPTIONS    OF   RAJAHS.  43 

run  amid  great  excitement,  but,  curiously  enough,  his  High- 
ness1 own  horse  won  the  cup,  and  so  here  it  was,  ready  to  be 
given  to  the  Prince  for  the  Princess  herself.  It  is  engraved 
with  her  name,  is  beautifully  worked,  as  such  work  can  be  done 
only  in  Mysore,  and  has  for  handle  to  the  lid  a  massive,  gold 
elephant.     The  value  is  about  £3,000. 

Round  this  cup  is  ranged  a  gold  service  for  attar  and  pan. 
There  are  a  gold  receptacle  for  attar  of  roses,  a  golden  casket 
for  the  pan  and  betel-nut,  a  golden  stand  for  incense,  a  rose- 
spouted  cup  of  gold,  for  scented  water,  and  other  beautifully 
designed  cups  and  salvers  for  the  completion  of  the  set.  But 
the  most  beautiful  present  of  all  is  a  belt  of  gold  which  is  placed 
on  a  little  table  by  itself.  For  long  years  it  has  been  in  the 
treasury  of  Mysore,  highly  valued,  much  admired,  and  now  it 
sees  light  only  to  leave  Mysore  forever.  In  size  it  is  too  big 
for  any  lady,  being  intended  for  a  very  stout  king,  but  in  point 
of  beauty  it  is  fit  for  the  most  queenly  waist  in  the  world.  All 
over  its  front  flash  diamonds,  emeralds,  rubies  and  pearls — in 
fact,  it  contains  every  kind  of  precious  stone  found  in  Mysore, 
and  is  on  that  account  alone  a  most  valuable  and  interesting 
jewel.  In  the  centre  of  the  back  it  has  a  hinge,  in  front  a 
diamond  clasp,  and  altogether  it  is  one  of  the  most  resplendent 
ornaments  that  could  be  designed.  Its  intrinsic  cost  was  many 
thousands  of  pounds,  but  as  a  work  of  art  it  is  still  more 
valuable. 

While  looking  at  these  a  messenger  announced  the  approach 
of  the  Maharajah,  and  a  moment  afterwards  his  Highness  came 
into  the  saloon,  and,  holding  out  his  hand,  bid  me  welcome  to 
his  house.  He  was  glad,  he  said,  to  see  Englishmen;  for  ho 
hoped  some  day  to  go  to  England  himself  and  learn  all  about 
the  great  country  from  which  they  came.  Then,  turning  round, 
he  introduced  a  bright-eyed,  intelligent  youth  of  nineteen  or 
thereabouts — who,  his  Highness  said,  was  hereditary  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  army  in  Mysore.     With  excellent  accent 


44  WITH    THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

and  admirable  good  taste,  he  spoke  English  perfectly,  and  in 
a  very  few  minutes  showed  that  he  looked  forward  to  no  sine- 
cure, although  his  army  might  never  be  large.  He  knew  all 
about  the  Franco-German  war,  was  intimately  acquainted  with 
Russian  movements,  understood  even  the  principle  of  summer 
drills  in  England,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  see  the  troops  of 
all  these  nations  himself.  "  You  Europeans,"  he  said,  "  are  so 
well  disciplined  that  I  could  but  learn  much  by  travel,  and  I 
shall  go  to  Europe  on  the  very  first  opportunity."  As  for  the 
Maharajah,  he  chatted  pleasantly  about  the  sights  of  Bombay 
and  its  relative  beauty  when  compared  with  his  own  capital. 
He  was  just  going  to  see  the  caves  of  Elephanta,  and  he  in- 
tended to  learn  all  he  could  while  in  the  Presidency.  He  dwelt 
upon  the  pleasure  of  cricket,  of  which  game  he  is  very  fond, 
and  the  advantages  of  underhand  twist  bowling,  which  he  finds 
bothers  the  Mysorian  cricketers  exceedingly,  and  then  upon 
the  pleasures  of  sport.  Thus  fifteen  minutes  or  so  passed 
pleasantly,  and  concluded  with  a  kindly  invitation  to  visit  him 
at  his  capital  and  see  his  people.  A  more  intelligent  young 
gentleman  I  have  never  seen ;  and  if  such  is  the  result  of  Eng- 
lish training  and  instruction,  the  system  promises  well,  and 
Colonel  Malleson  and  Mr.  Dalyel  have  good  reason  to  be  proud 
of  their  charge. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    ARRIVAL   OF   THE    PRINCE. 

On  the  8th  of  November,  1875,  "His  Honour  of  High  Title, 
the  Star  of  the  Sky  of  Wealth  and  Fortune,  the  Great  Star  of 
the  Firmament  of  Glory  and  Prosperity,  the  Generous  One  of 
the  Age,  the  First  One  of  the  Time,  the  Essence  of  the  Family 
of  Honour  and  Loftiness,  the  Prop  of  the  Dynasty  of  Might 
and  Pomp,  possessing  the  dignity  and  rank  of  Saturn,  of  ex- 
alted honour,  the  Cream  of  the  Princes  of  the  Age,  the  Glory 
of  the  Nobles  of  England,  Albert  Edward,  Prince  of  Wales," 
landed  in  Bombay.  That  is  the  statement  of  a  Persian  writer 
who  was  good  enough  to  read  me  the  beginning  of  his  admir- 
able article,  and  to  give  me  an  English  translation.  Of  the 
fact  of  the  Prince's  landing  I  was  a  faithful  witness;  of  the 
titles  which  the  Persian  has  conferred  upon  the  Prince,  I  say 
nothing.  Yet  surely,  if  banging  of  artillery  and  cheering  can 
impress  the  mind  with  an  idea  of  the  grandeur  of  the  Prince 
who  landed,  the  Persian  may  be  pardoned  for  his  selection  of 
compliments. 

Never  was  a  heartier  or  more  loyal  reception  accorded  to  any- 
one anywhere.  For  weeks  past  Bombay  had  been  in  a  ferment. 
In  the  excess  of  their  loyalty  the  powers  that  be,  actually 
quarrelled.  Sir  Philip  Wodehouse  got  to  loggerheads  with 
Pear-Admiral  Macclonald,  the  result  of  which  was  that  the 
Admiral  requested  his  officers  not  to  attend  the  Governor's 
levee;  then  the  Bear- Admiral,  reading  his  instructions  from 
the  Admiralty  with  great  exactitude,  informed  the  ancient 
representative  of  British  government  in  Bombay  that  his  orders 
would  not  allow  of  a  salute  being  given  to  the  Viceroy  on  the 


46  WITH  THE   PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

occasion  of  the  Prince's  landing.  "  No  flag  can  be  saluted  in 
presence  of  the  Royal  Standard,"  wrote  Admiral  Macdonald  ; 
whereupon  the  Governor  very  nearly  went  into  hysterics,  and 
the  local  newspapers  wrote  columns  of  rubbish.  At  length  the 
knotty  point  was  settled;  Admiral  Macdonald  telegraphed  to 
England  for  instructions,  and  received  permission  to  salute  the 
Viceroy  and  the  Prince  as  well ;  the  Governor  received  the  in- 
telligence with  bewildered  gratitude,  and  has  remained  in  a 
state  of  amazement  ever  since. 

Then,  of  course,  the  decorations  were  matter  for  serious  con- 
sideration and  endless  disagreement.  Had  everybody's  sug- 
gestions been  adopted,  and  each  suggester  set  to  work  with 
plenary  powers,  Bombay  would  have  presented  in  a  short  time 
a  very  singular  spectacle  indeed.  But  somehow  or  other  the 
authorities  contrived  to  repress  some  and  quicken  others,  so 
that  in  the  end  the  place  looked  fairy-like  in  its  beauty.  Bom- 
bay is  less  of  an  Indian  and  more  of  a  Levantine  city  than  any 
other.  Within  its  environs  people  from  every  part  of  the 
world  find  a  home.  There  are  seventy-two  different  sects  of 
Mohammedans  alone.  No  one  knows  how  many  different 
kinds  of  Hindoos  there  are.  Chinamen  are  numerous,  too. 
There  are  representatives  of  every  European  country  and 
people  who  are  able  to  judge,  say,  of  Asia  also.  Every  now 
and  then  you  come  across  a  Nubian  or  Abyssinian.  Egyptians 
are  here  in  scores ;  Arabs  stalk  about  in  the  bazaars ;  and  I 
believe  I  espied  a  Kaffir  in  a  shop  near  Byeulla.  With  such  a 
variety  of  nationalities  there*  would  very  naturally  be  a  diver- 
sity of  colour,  and  hence  the  picturesque  appearance  of  the 
crowd  which  assembled  to  welcome  or  to  gaze  at  the  Prince  of 
Wales. 

To  most  of  the  inhabitants  the  Royal  visit  was  very  agree- 
able. The  cabd rivers  quadrupled  their  fees;  the  tradesmen  in 
the  bazaars  had  the  most  delightful  opportunity  for  fleecing 
Rajahs — "young  men  from  the  country  " — that  ever  presented 


THE  ARRIVAL  OF  THE  PRINCE.  47 

itself  j  and  as  for  the  Europeans,  they  were  all  placed  on  some 
committee  or  other,  saw  their  names  figuring  everywhere,  and 
their  speeches  reported  with  unwonted  regularity.  All  this 
being  the  case,  no  wonder  Bombay  turned  out  to  witness  the 
Royal  entry.  Great  preparations  had  been  made.  The  gene- 
alogy of  the  Prince  had  been  carefully  traced  and  copied  into 
the  native  papers.  Poetry  such  as  has  been  seldom  read  was 
written  and  published.  All  along  the  line  of  route — it  is  need- 
less for  me  to  attempt  to  give  the  names  of  the  streets — masts 
called,  for  want  of  a  better  name,  Venetian,  had  been  erected ; 
Hags  were  flying  therefrom ;  festoons  connected  mast  with 
mast;  coloured  lamps,  shortly  to  be  lighted,  were  placed  in 
position ;  and  triumphal  arches,  more  or  less  pretty,  appeared 
at  every  cross  road.  Then  the  people  came  out  en  masse,  and 
crowded  every  road,  street,  and  lane.  Let  it  be  remembered 
that  in  a  city  like  Bombay  this  is  less  difficult  than  it  would 
be  in  London.  Here  the  inhabitants,  as  a  general  rule,  per- 
form their  toilettes  by  the  side  of  the  road.  Gentlemen  are 
shaved  while  sitting  on  a  kerbstone,  ladies  clean  their  teeth  in 
the  centre  of  the  thoroughfare,  friends  adjust  each  other's  top- 
knots on  their  doorsteps,  and  in  the  street  ablutions  go  on 
merrily.  Witnessing  the  procession  forms  nearly  the  sum 
total  of  what  the  natives  did  on  that — to  them — memorable 
day. 

Visitors  to  the  Dockyard  and  to  the  Club  windows  were  re- 
quested to  appear  in  full  dress.  But  no  dress  of  the  white 
population,  "full"  though  it  maybe,  comes  up  to  the  costumes 
which  the  natives  donned  that  morning.  And  when  I  drove 
from  Parell  and  saw  the  gaily-painted  houses,  the  brilliantly 
green  trees  hung  with  coloured  Chinese  lanterns  and  long  lines 
of  flags,  the  trophies  of  banners,  the  triumphal  arches,  and  the 
busy  road,  all  teeming  with  natives  attired  in  bright  costumes, 
I  felt  that  the  Prince  could  have  never  looked  on  such  a  scene 
elsewhere.  I  cannot  say  so  much  for  the  mottoes  which  figured 
over  the  gateways  of  the  Rajahs  and  chieftains  on  the  route. 


48  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

Perhaps  allowance  should  be  made  for  the  fact  that  almost 
all  the  ingenuity  that  Bombay  possessed  had  been  exhausted 
on  the  illumination  designs  for  the  next  night.  To  make  the 
place  resplendent  with  light  in  honour  of  the  Prince's  birthday, 
every  possible  design  had  been  adopted.  From  every  tree 
hung  lanterns  ;  over  every  gateway  were  archways  of  lamps  ; 
on  each  lamp-post  designs  of  crosses,  stars,  triangles,  and 
circles,  glittered — for  even  in  the  daytime  the  glasses  glittered 
in  the  sun  like  diamonds — loops,  made  of  bent  twigs,  support- 
ing transparent  cups  full  of  oil,  lined  the  roads,  and  great  gas 
jets,  such  as  we  sometimes  see  at  home,  completed  the  arrange- 
ment. But  if  this  was  satisfactory — and  I  fancy  that  a  drive 
round  the  town  the  next  evening  reminded  the  Prince  of  Wales 
of  the  fairy  tales  of  his  youth  rather  than  of  anything  else — the 
mottoes  were  decidedly  poor.  You  saw  a  fine  archway  with 
letters  in  gilt  and  plenty  of  blue  paint.  You  naturally  ex- 
pected something  very  appropriate  to  the  visit,  and  set  yourself 
to  decipher  the  printing,  when  you  found  that  it  runs  "God 
bless  your  Royal  Mother,"  or,  turning  in  another  direction, 
"  Long  Live  the  Royal  Family,"  or  in  another  the  single  word 
"  Victoria."  Here  and  there  in  front  of  a  Parsee  house  was 
some  such  remark  as  "  Yery  glad  to  see  the  Prince  of  Wales," 
or  on  a  Mohammedan  bungalow  the  letters  "  A.  E.;"  but,  for 
the  rest,  "Welcome  to  India,"  or  "Welcome  to  Bombay,"  oc- 
curred very  frequently,  and  then  the  ingenuity  in  this  branch 
of  display  came  to  an  end,  with  one  exception — namely  at  the 
Dockyard  gates,  of  which  I  will  speak  presently. 

It  was  quite  early  in  the  morning  when  the  "  Serapis  "  was 
sighted  from  Malabar  Point  and  introduced  to  Bombay  by  two 
guns,  and  nine  o'clock  had  scarcely  struck  ere  she  entered  the 
harbour.  Instantly  the  yards  of  the  men-of-war,  which  lay  in 
two  long  lines,  were  manned,  and  so  deafening  a  salute  poured 
out  from  the  ships  and  the  battery  on  shore  that  for  many 
minutes'   space  the  very  windows  rattled.     To  attempt  to  see 


THE  ARRIVAL  OF  THE  PRINCE.  49 

anything  of  the  "  Serapis  "  at  such  a  time  was  simply  foolish, 
for  the  smoke  in  a  dense  cloud  hid  not  only  the  coast,  the 
islands,  and  the  distant  hills,  but  enveloped  the  ships  so  com- 
pletely that  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  an  hour  no  part  of  them 
could  be  discerned.  When  the  smoke  had  gone  and  the  air  was 
clear  once  more,  it  was  seen  that  the  "  Serapis  "  had  taken  up 
a  position  close  by  the  "  Osborne,"  which  had  arrived  the  night 
before,  and  that  she  was  not  decorated  with  flags,  as  were  all 
the  ships  in  the  harbour,  but  simply  displayed  the  Royal  Stand- 
ard from  her  masthead. 

I  have  already  mentioned  the  native  part  of  the  town  ;  I 
will  now  describe  what  was  going  on  in  the  Fort,  which  was 
more  particularly  the  English  quarter,  so  far  as  shops,  offices, 
and  public  buildings  are  concerned.  Very  soon  after  seven 
o'clock,  well  appointed  broughams  were  driven  into  the  Fort 
all  full  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  bent  on  enjoyment.  Happy 
were  the  people  whose  offices  or  shops  lay  on  the  line  of  route, 
for  they  could  and  did  invite  their  friends  to  luncheon — called 
"  tiffin  "  here — and  to  a  seat  in  their  windows.  Happier  still 
were  the  bachelors  who  belonged  to  the  Bombay  Club,  and 
whose  right  to  windows  there  and  to  invite  friends  was  undis- 
puted. But  there  was  a  happier  class  yet — the  people  who  had 
space  available  for  'the  erection  of  a  tasteful  stand  whereon  to 
place  those  whom  they  delighted  to  honour.  All  made  the  best 
of  their  opportunity ;  all  did  their  utmost  to  celebrate  the  event; 
and  the  result  was  that  the  Fort  presented  a  pleasant  picture 
from  the  earliest  hour  in  the  morning.  I  have,  in  a  previous 
letter,  mentioned  the  Esplanade.  On  this  morning  it  looked 
more  beautiful  than  ever,  a  broad  expanse  of  green  grass,  well 
covered  with  trees,  intersected  by  a  fine  road,  and  approached 
by  a  magnificent  street,  shaded  by  wide-spreading  banians. 
In  the  centre  of  the  Esplanade  is  a  tasteful  statue  of  the  Queen, 
and,  for  a  wonder,  the  Decorating  Committee  had  the  good 
judgment  not  to  improve  it  in  any  way.     By  night  it  would  be 


50  tVITH  THE   PEINGE  IN  INDIA. 

lit  up  brilliantly;  but  by  day  it  was  neither  bedecked  with 
rosettes  nor  flags.  The  statue  of  the  Queen,  a  splendid  piece  of 
sculpture  in  marble,  was  left  alone,  and,  as  a  consequence,  was 
an  ornament,  and  not  an  eyesore.  At  the  moment  of  our  enter- 
ing the  Dockyard  in  order  to  take  the  places  which  were  assign- 
ed us,  the  pathways  were  full  of  people,  the  seats  in  front  of  the 
houses  were  full,  the  windows  were  crammed,  the  space  on  the 
Esplanade  was  occupied,  and  that  part  of  Bombay  which  is  not 
aristocratic  or  official  enough  to  be  asked  to  the  Dockyard,  or 
to  have  a  seat  at  club  or  office  windows,  sat  down  to  see  the 
Prince  pass  on  the  way  to  Parell. 

As  an  artistic  structure  the  Dockyard  shed  had  undoubted 
merits;  it  was  capacious,  light,  and  airy.  A  great  temporary 
building,  thickly  roofed,  so  that  the  rays  of  the  sun  cannot 
penetrate  it,  open  at  the  sides  so  far  as  is  compatible  with  ex- 
cluding said  rays  in  those  directions  also,  and  of  course  open  at 
both  ends,  it  was  the  very  model  of  an  Indian  shelter.  One  end 
looked  out  upon  the  sea,  where  the  "  Serapis  n  lay  at  anchor, 
and  several  of  the  men-of-war  were  in  position  also ;  the  othei 
terminated  in  an  archway  of  exceptional  beauty.  I  have,  in 
regard  to  the  rest  of  Bombay,  complained  of  a  certain  lack  cf 
ingenuity  in  respect  of  the  triumphal  arches  and  their  mottoes. 
Here,  however,  was  no  ground  for  any  such  complaint.  In 
broad,  English,  golden  characters  on  crimson  ground,  was  the 
word  "Welcome;"  on  either  side  of  this  was  an  inscription  in 
Persian  and  Hindostanee.  And  a  pleasant  thought  it  was 
which,  in  characters  unintelligible  to  the  English  eye,  but  well 
understood  by  the  natives,  was  thus  portrayed.  "  "Worlds  of 
Welcome  and  Long  Life,"  said  the  writer  in  gold  upon  crimson 
on  this  pretty  arch,  while  on  another  a  little  way  off  he  varied 
the  phrase,  and  drew  the  characters  which  mean  "  A  Thousand 
Welcomes  to  the  Prince !"  The  interior  of  the  shed  was  in 
keeping  with  this  idea.  Banners  were  hung  everywhere,  the 
•  seats  were  tastefully  decorated  with  red  cloth,  banks  of  flowers 


THE  ARIUVAL  OF  THE  PRINCE.  51 

rose  in  what  would  otherwise  be  vacant  spaces,  and  the  air  was 
laden  with  perfume.  Nor  was  there  any  scramble  for  place  or 
precedence.  Maharajah  and  Maharana,  Guicowar  and  Hubshee, 
all  had  their  seats.  Councilmen  and  Councillors,  Consuls  and 
newspaper  correspondents,  had  all  their  appointed  positions, 
and  sat  quietly  awaiting  the  advent  of  the  Prince.  On  the 
right-hand  side  of  the  passage  facing  the  town,  sat  the  Guicowar 
of  Baroda,  covered  with  jewels  and  surrounded  by  attendants. 
In  the  next  corner,  half  reclining,  half  leaning  on  his  sword,  was 
the  Maharana  of  Oodeypore.  Opposite  His  Highness  Prince  of 
Baroda,  sat  the  Maharajah  of  Mysore,  and  separated  by  a  tall 
flower-bush  from  him,  was  the  Rajah  of  Kholapore.  The  other 
and  less  important  chieftains,  all  clad  in  marvellous  dresses,  all 
glittering  with  jewels,  and  all  accompanied  by  vast  numbers  of 
retainers,  were  in  seats  appointed  for  them,  and  waited  with 
curiosity  the  arrival  of  the  Prince.   • 

They  had  not  long  to  wait,  for  it  was  now  4  o'clock,  and  al- 
ready a  gun  is  fired.  Let  me  draw  the  remarkable  scene  which 
follows  as  it  actually  appeared  to  me.  The  Viceroy  and  Governor 
of  Bombay  have  severally  boarded  the  "  Serapis  "  and  bid  the 
Prince  welcome;  the  yard-arms  have  been  manned  and  the 
guns  of  the  fleet  discharged  in  honour  of  Lord  Northbrook  ;  and 
the  cannonade  will  soon  begin  again,  for  His  Royal  Highness  is 
about  to  land.  Steadily  looking  through  a  glass,  we  can  see 
the  boats  of  the  navy  getting  into  line ;  we  notice  close  by  the 
"  Serapis  "  a  larger  boat  than  the  rest,  with  the  Royal  Standard 
at  the  stern,  getting  into  position  at  the  Royal  gangway,  and 
immediately  afterwards,  figures  in  red  descending  the  steps. 
Still  there  is  no  firing,  no  noise,  when  the  boats  all  start  off  in 
line,  their  oars  dropping  into  the  water  and  then  glistening  in 
the  sun.  As  they  come  towards  land,  considerable  excitement 
prevails  in  the  shed.  Political  officers  in  their  gold  lace  coats, 
Maharajahs  and  Rajahs  in  dresses  of  velvet  and  diamonds, 
Thakoors,  sahebs,  and  chiefs  are  all  standing  up  ;  the  ladies,  bril- 


52  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

liantly  dressed,  are  leaning  forward;  Parsees — one  old  gentle- 
man has  a  most  portentous-looking  address  under  his  arm — are 
gathering  together  ;  the  troops  for  the  last  time  have  their  arms 
at  the  "present."  On  the  landing-stage  the  municipal  corporation 
has  gathered,  and  the  Governor  of  Bombay,  with  his  staff,  is  at 
the  extreme  end  of  the  little  pier.  Onward  come  the  boats,  the 
oars  flashing  and  dipping.  As  yet  it  is  too  early  to  see  who  are 
in  them,  and  attention  is  once  more  directed  to  the  interior  of 
the  shed.  Then  we  notice  that  the  Maharana  of  Oodeypore  has 
a  shield  ;  that  the  Maharajah  of  Mysore  has  left  all  his  diamonds 
at  home,  and  only  wears  strings  of  pearls;  that  the  Guicowar 
has  brought  all  his  brilliants  with  him ;  and  that  after  all,  Sir 
Salar  Jung,  in  a  black  velvet  dress,  trimmed  handsomely  with 
gold  lace,  is  by  far  the  most  important  native  present,  so  far  as 
appearances  go.  Let  it  not  be  forgotten  that  there  are  notable 
Englishmen  here  also.  Se»  Sir  Richard  Meade  in  his  full-dress 
uniform,  as  he  stands  holding  the  Guicowar's  right-hand ;  notice 
Mr.  Dalyel  and  Colonel  Malleson,  on  either  side  of  the  Maha- 
rajah of  Mysore;  look  at  Colonel  Herbert,  with  the  Maharana 
of  Oodeypore,  and  Mr.  Crawford — he  who  built  Bombay  market, 
and  made  himself  a  name — with  the  Hubshee.  These  are  all 
remarkable  men,  worthy  of  admiration,  seeing  that  on  such  as 
these  our  Empire  in  the  East  depends.  Nor  should  a  curious 
row  of  native  journalists  be  overlooked — gentlemen  in  turbans 
or  Parsees'  hats,  starched,  white  petticoats  or  red  dresses,  some 
with  boots,  and  some  with  no  boots  at  all — the  representatives 
of  native  opinion  in  India,  all  of  them  literary  persons  of  merit, 
in  their  own  estimation  at  least. 

But,  while  you  are  looking  at  these,  the  Prince's  boat  is  ap- 
proaching the  shore,  and  the  band,  which  erewhile  was  playing 
a  march,  now  ceases ;  for  the  cannonade  has  begun,  and  a  tre- 
mendous din  is  being  made,  which  would  drown  ten  bands,  or, 
indeed,  a  hundred.  For  a  few  minutes  this  thunder  continues, 
and  then,  as  it  is  silenced,  "  God  save  the  Queen  "  is  heard ;  the 


TEE  ARRIVAL  OF  THE  PRINCE.  53 

foremost  boat  touches  the  pier,  the  Prince  springs  to  land, 
and  a  loud  cheer  arises — a  cheer  which  is  taken  up  on  the  sea, 
carried  to  the  men  who  are  on  the  yardarms  of  the  vessels, 
and  by  them  sent  back  again  to  the  shore.  It  is  a  welcome  fit 
for  a  Prince  and  worthy  of  a  great  Empire.  Followed  by  Lord 
Alfred  Paget,  the  Duke  of  Sutherland,  Lord  Carington,  Canon 
Duckworth,  Lord  Aylesford,  Colonel  Owen  Williams,  and  the 
less  important  members  of  his  suite,  accompained,  moreover,  by 
the  Viceroy  and  the  Governor  of  Bombay,  the  Prince  passes  the 
guard  of  honour,  dressed  in  white,  and  only  stops  when  he 
comes  to  the  Parsee  with  the  address.  Then  he  makes  signs 
of  readiness ;  without  delay  the  address  is  unfolded,  and  the 
Parsee  begins.  It  is  not  so  portentous  as  it  looks,  but  is  well 
written,  being  the  handiwork  work  of  W.  Maclean,  the  editor 
of  the  u  Bombay  Gazette "  ;  and  it  is  short,  which  is,  indeed, 
another  undoubted  merit.  In  general  terms,  it  was  an  expres 
sion  of  welcome  and  an  assurance  of  loyalty  to  the  Crown. 
The  Prince's  reply  follows,  and  is  as  short  as  the  address.  His 
Royal  Highness  acknowledges  the  loyalty  of  the  people,  and 
thanks  them  on  behalf  of  the  Queen.  He  notes  what  they  say 
of  religious  and  political  freedom,  and  congratulates  them  and 
himself  on  the  establishment  of  this  freedom  in  England.  Then, 
in  reply  to  some  kindly  words,  about  the  Princess  of  Wales,  he 
remarks  that  she,  too,  would  gladly  have  visited  India,  and  con- 
cludes by  expressing  his  determination  to  convey  to  the  Queen 
the  a&surance  of  their  good-will.  This  ends  the  speaking ;  the 
Prince  at  once  moves  forward,  followed  by  his  suite,  and,  as  he 
passes  along,  shakes  hands  with  each  Maharajah  and  Rajah. 
Of  course  Sir  Salar  Jung  is  the  first  thus  complimented,  for  he 
has  the  post  of  honour  ;  the  rest  follow  in  order  of  precedence. 
And  thus  the  door  is  reached,  when  his  Royal  Highness  enters 
his  carriage  and  drives  away.  Thus  the  streets  are  reached, 
and  the  crowds  of  people  are  treated  to  the  sight  of  the  Heir 
Apparent  of  England — a  sight  they  acknowledge  with  loud  and 
continued  cheering. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BOYAL      FETES. 

I  shall  always  associate  the  illumination  of  Bombay  with  a 
singular  sight  which  was  witnessed  in  the  very  centre  of  the 
Mohammedan  quarter  on  the  following  night.  The  Prince, 
having  gone  on  board  the  "  Serapis  "  to  cut  his  birthday  cake, 
was  expected  to  land  a  little  after  six  o'clock  and  drive  round 
the  town.  In  honour  of  the  event  the  inhabitants,  Moham- 
medan, Parsee,  and  Hindoo,  had  done  their  utmost  to  outvie 
each  other.  I  have  already  stated  that  a  characteristic  trait  of 
the  native  mind  here  is  the  intense  love  of  glass  and  light. 
When  in  doubt  as  to  the  ornamentation  of  a  room,  the  Hindoo 
hangs  up  a  huge  chandelier;  if  still  in  doubt,  he  adds  another, 
till  sometimes  he  gets  eight  or  ten  in  an  apartment  which  would 
be  admirably  lighted  by  a  single  gas  jet.  By  this  time  he  is 
perfectly  happy.  He  may  have  no  chairs  and  no  table ;  the 
floor  can  take  care  of  itself — a  mat  and  a  pillow  are  quite  suffi- 
cient for  that,  but  he  is  well  satisfied  if  plenty  of  glass  hides  the 
ceiling.  If  he  is  very  wealthy  and  very  reckless,  he  makes 
another  addition,  which  adds  to  the  beauty  of  the  apartment 
from  his  own  point  of  view.  From  a  dealer  in  the  baiaar  he 
purchases  a  large  number  of  the  cheap  German  portraits,  soma 
eighteen  inches  square,  highly  coloured  and  heavily  framed  and 
glazed,  and  at  a  distance  of  half  a  foot  from  the  ceiling  he  hangs 
thirty  or  forty  pictures  of  ladies  with  green  hair  and  yellow 
lips,  gentlemen  with  blue  cheeks  and  pink  eyes,  with  pride  and 
satisfaction.  He  has  no  prejudice  in  the  matter.  He  admires 
the  portrait  of  the  Pope  as  much  as  he  does  a  likeness  of  the 
Emperor   William,   and   he    will   put   Napoleon    III.,    Henri 


ROYAL   FETES.  55 

Rochefort,  and  the  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia  in  a  line  without 
the  slightest  care.  As  a  rule  he  does  not  know  for  whom  the 
pictures  are  intended.  That  is  not  at  all  necessary.  Like  some 
of  us  at  home,  who  have  in  our  rooms  "  A  Portrait  of  a  Gentle- 
man," he  values  them  simply  because  they  are  plentifully 
painted,  and  because,  when  he  lights  up  his  chandeliers  and  sits 
on  the  floor,  he  can  see  the  gas  glittering  in  the  glass . 

Nor  must  it  be  assumed  that  he  will  rest  here.  If  he  chances 
to  have  a  verandah — and  most  likely  he  has — he  will  hang  a 
few  chandeliers  out  there  as  well,  with  a  dozen  pictures  or  so 
of  the  Napoleon  and  Rochefort  sort,  so  that  his  friends  and 
acquaintances  may  admire  his  taste  for  art,  and  envy  his  pos- 
sessions. And,  besides  all  this,  he  will  hang  a  lamp  outside 
nearly  every  window,  so  that  on  festivals  he  can  light  them  up 
too,  and  thus  be  happier  than  ever.  Possessing  such  a  taste, 
then,  there  is  no  need  for  wonder  if  he  can  illuminate  when 
requested  to  do  so,  It  is  a  labour  of  love — a  pleasurable  task, 
which  he  understands  much  better  than  hanging  out  bunting; 
and  the  way  in  which  he  proved  this  on  the  night  of  the  illumi- 
nations has  placed  the  matter  beyond  a  doubt  for  the  future. 
Bombay*  however,  is  peculiarly  fitted  for  such  a  display.  Long, 
picturesque  streets,  composed  of  quaint,  Oriental  houses,  with 
over-hanging  gables,  and  gaudily-painted  fronts  of  mosques, 
Hindoo  temples  ornamented  with  all  kinds  of  images,  shrines, 
churches,  and  noble  public  buildings  abound — the  genius  of  the 
people  did  the  rest. 

I  question  whether  such  a  sight  as  that  which  met  the  Prince 
when  he  landed  at  the  Mazagon  pier  and  joined  in  the  proces- 
sion was  ever  seen  before.  It  was  not  that  he  was  in  a  gold 
and  silver  chariot  of  immense  value.  Nor  was  it  that  the 
troops  drawn  up  in  the  fitful  flashing  glare  appeared  like  giants. 
The  real  spectacle  was  the  town  and  its  inhabitants.  The  peo- 
ple thought  the  reverse,  and  gathered  to  gaze  at  the  Prince ; 
unci  the  most  wonderful  sight  of  all  was  the  populace.     Wher- 


56  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

ever  they  could  stand  or  sit  they  occupied  a  place.  Wherever 
they  could  put  a  light  they  fixed  one.  Not  garish  stars,  crowns, 
or  flames  of  gas,  but  hundreds  of  thousands  of  tinted  oil-lamps, 
burning  with  a  subdued  light,  yet  marking  out  every  line  of 
architecture  in  this  extraordinary  place.  Fi-om  the  pavement, 
starting  out  from  the  people  who  sat  thickly  on  the  paths, 
rose  pyramids  and  clouds  of  fire;  the  steps  of  public  build- 
ings were  covered  with  myriads  of  glasses,  all  full  of  burn- 
ing oil,  fed  by  women,  who  with  cans  in  their  hands  flitted 
hither  and  thither,  and  kept  up  the  blaze.  The  great.  Govern- 
ment buildings  were  marked  out  in  the  same  fashion  along  the 
roofs  and  the  lines  of  windows,  over  the  doors,  and  even  to  the 
tops  of  the  roofs,  without  regard  to  trouble  or  cost ;  and  if  pub- 
lic places  were  thus  radiant,  the  private  dwelling-houses  of  the 
natives  rivalled  them  with  their  chandeliers,  lamps,  and  trans- 
parent devices. 

It  was  one  of  these  that  I  specially  noticed,  and  it  told  more 
about  the  native  character  than  volumes  specially  written  could 
have  said.  Under  a  glittering  canopy,  closely  packed  together, 
with  their  best  turbans  on  their  heads  and  their  finest  linen 
robes,  sat  a  cluster  of  Mohammedan  patriarchs.  Their  childish 
glee  was  immense,  and  they  waited  with  pardonable  pride  for 
the  advent  of  the  Prince.  But  it  was  not  their  delight  or  dress, 
nor,  indeed,  was  it  the  arch  under  which  they  sat.  High  over- 
head, in  great,  square  letters  brilliantly  lighted  from  behind  and 
plain  to  view  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  was  the  inscription 
on  which  they  had  set  their  hearts.  It  was  a  quaint  expres- 
sion, one  probably  that  will  be  read  with  a  smile  by  the  edu- 
cated and  refined  people  at  home :  but  it  was  the  heartfelt 
exclamation  of  these  simple  folk,  and  ran  thus :  "Tell  mamma 
we're  happy."  No  one  that  looked  for  a  moment  at  the  collec- 
tion of  ugly  but  contented  faces  under  that  archway  could  have 
had  the  slightest  doubt  that  their  transparency  told  the  truth, 
and  that  in  view  of  the  visit  of  the  Prince,  the  Mohammedans 
of  Bombay  are  happy. 


tlOYAL   FETES.  5*7 

In  Bombay  the  native  is  not  only  acknowledged  as  "  a  man 
and  a  brother,"  but  he  is  a  constant  companion.  You  meet  him 
at  receptions  ;  you  tread  on  his  shoeless  toes  at  levees  ;  you  sit 
next  to  him  in  the  councils ;  and  if  you  chance  to  be  an  evil- 
doer, you  may  make  his  acquaintance,  first  of  all,  in  the  garb  of 
a  policeman,  and,  secondly,  in  the  robe  of  a  judge.  He  takes 
the  chair  at  meetings,  regulates  your  gas  and  water  supply, 
probably  stands  toward  you  in  the  relation  of  a  landlord,  and 
occasionally  in  that  of  a  creditor — in  which  latter  case,  I  am 
told,  he  is  a  little  less  relenting  than  Portia,  who,  it  will  be 
remembered,  first  recited  an  ode  to  Mercy,  and  then  pursued 
the  misguided  Shylock.  But  at  the  Byculla  Club  you  only  see 
him  in  the  guise  of  a  servant ;  he  eats  no  dinner  in  the  grand 
saloon ;  his  residence  is  not  in  the  chambers  which  skirt  the 
racecourse ;  the  American  chairs  in  the  reading-room  are  not 
for  him  ;  and  if  he  were  to  venture  to  come  there,  he  would 
probably  meet  with  much  such  a  reception  as  a  stranger  in  the 
London  Stock  Exchange.  Thus  at  the  ball  which  the  Byculla 
Club  gave  to  the  Prince  of  Wales  next  evening,  the  Parsee's 
ineffably  ugly  head-dress  as  well  as  the  hideous  turban  of  the 
Mahratta  were  alike  absent. 

A  great  many  uncomfortable  prognostications  had  been 
hazarded  about  that  ball.  The  Prince  would  not  come,  there 
would  be  only  seventy  ladies  to  seven  hundred  gentlemen,  no- 
body of  any  importance  would  be  there ;  it  would  be  a  failure, 
and  nothing  else.  But,  to  the  confusion  of  the  croakers  and 
the  delight  of  the  club,  all  this  was  reversed.  The  Prince  not 
only  came,  but  danced  nearly  every  time  the  band  played ;  the 
ladies  were  very  nearly  equal  in  number  to  the  gentlemen,  the 
night  was  one  of  the  merriest  on  record,  and  the  whole  thing 
was  a  grand  success.  The  club  deserved  it.  To  make  a  supper- 
room  they  had  erected  a  huge  booth  with  palm  leaves  and 
canvas,  and  decorated  it  so  beautifully  with  flowers  that  it 
resembled  the  garden  which  Aladdin  saw  when  he  found  the 

4 


58       WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

lamp  more  than  a  temporary  structure  of  a  day's  growth  j  and 
for  the  dancers  the  dining-hall  of  the  club  had  been  beautified 
without  any  regard  to  cost.  Artificial  fountains  had  been  placed 
in- adjoining  rooms,  leafy  bowers  constructed,  and  even  a  wall 
of  ice  blocks  fixed  behind  these  bowers,  so  that,  when  sitting  in 
them,  the  heat  of  Bombay  was  forgotten,  and  the  climate  found 
to  be  that  of  the  temperate  zone. 

I  remember  once  hearing  a  lecture  on  dancing.  The  speaker 
was  a  melancholy  man,  whose  chief  objection  to  the  diversion 
was  that  its  votaries  unconsciously  waste  a  great  amount  of 
time  in  pursuit  of  what,  after  all,  was  an  evanescent  and  unsatis- 
factory pleasure.  What  that  unhappy  person  would  have  said 
of  the  Byculla  ball,  it  is  impossible  to  conceive.  Whether  it 
was  the  effect  of  a  good,  European,  military  band,  or  the  novel 
fact  of  a  large  gathering  of  ladies,  or  the  presence  of  the  Prince, 
or  the  determination  to  maintain  the  character  of  the  club,  it  ia 
impossible  to  say.  But,  whatever  was  the  cause,  the  hours  were 
made  to  fly  by  with  such  extraordinary  rapidity  that  when  six 
o'clock  came,  they  were  still  waltzing,  regardless  of  daylight  and 
the  clock-hands  alike.  Did  the  Prince  dance1?  Ask  any  lady 
in  the  room.  Without  favour  of  any  kind,  and  determined  only 
to  give  happiness  to  everybody  present,  his  B-oyal  Highness  led 
first  one  and  then  another  into  the  space  reserved  for  himself 
and  suite,  till  at  last  he  ordered  that  even  this  restriction  should 
bo  done  away  with,  and  to  the  amusement  of  poor  old  Sir  Philip 
Wodehouse,  who  looked  on  with  undisguised  astonishment, 
galloped  round  the  room  as  though  he  had  lived  in  Bombay  all 
his  life,  and  was  not  the  observed  of  all  observers.  How  the 
various  sets  were  formed  it  boots  not  to  say.  English  readers 
would  not  recognise  many  names,  and,  indeed,  would  gain  but 
little  information  if  they  did.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  all  went  off 
satisfactorily,  that  the  supper  was  a  great  success,  and  that, 
when  at  length  the  dancing  was  over,  the  Byculla  Club  had  to 
congratulate  itself  on  having  given  one  of  the  most  admirable 
fetes  in  Bombay. 


llOYAL    FETES.  59 

But  if  the  Byculla  ball  was  a  success,  the  Masons  of  Bombay 
can  boast  of  having  achieved  something  exactly  the  reverse. 
The  first  thought  which  strikes  a  stranger  on  arriving  at  this 
gate  of  India  is  one  of  amazement  at  the  butter  they  offer  you 
at  table.  How  it  can  be  made  so  nasty,  by  what  ingenuity 
cream  can  be  so  terribly  spoiled,  and  who  first  found  out  the  way 
of  producing  such  an  unsavoury  mess,  are  questions  that  occur 
to  the  mind  in  succession.  So  with  the  ceremony  attendant  on 
laying  the  foundation  stone  of  the  Elphinstone  Dock,  an  incident 
on  which  the  inhabitants  of  Bombay  had  set  great  expectations, 
one  marvels  how  such  a  strange  jumble  could  have  been 
contrived.  It  was  certainly  not  the  result  of  lackadaisical 
managers.  Everything  was  arranged  with  the  precision  of 
company  drill.  How  the  Europeans  were  to  dress,  what  would 
be  required  of  Parsee  brothers,  what  Hindoos  might  not  wear, 
and  what  was  expected  of  Mahammedans,  were  all  detailed  with 
marvellous  minuteness. 

As  to  the  programme,  it  was  a  document  quite  a  yard  in 
length,  and  explicit  in  every  particular.  Not  only  did  it 
regulate  the  procession,  but  it  provided  for  everything  that  it 
should  do.  Who  were  to  carry  drawn  swords,  and  who  wands ; 
who  should  have  the  plans  in  his  pocket,  and  who  should  carry 
the  coins ;  where  the  visitors  "  of  distinction "  should  walk, 
and  where  those  who  were  not  "  of  distinction  "  should  come ; 
who  should  bear  the  trowel,  and  who  should  mix  the  mortar, 
were  all  specified  by  name,  with  long  strings  of  letters  after 
their  cognomens,  and  the  designation  of  their  lodges.  Even 
the  lowering  of  the  stone  was  to  be  achieved,  not  to  the  lively 
tune  of  a  waltz,  not  to  some  unconsidered  air  from  Lecocq,  nor 
even  to  a  "  song  without  words,"  though  a  Mendelssohn  might 
have  written  it,  but  "  to  slow  music."  The  very  movements  of 
the  "  brethren  "  who  guarded  the  banners  and  the  brethren  who 
had  no  banners  to  guard,  but  wore  aprons  and  sashes,  were  to  be 
regulated   by   brethren   who    had    long    white  wands,    whose 


60  WITH  THE  FfilNCE   IK  INDIA. 

discretion  might  be  relied  upon.  The  prayer  was  ready,  the 
address  was  written,  the  corn,  wine,  and  oil  were  in  their  places, 
to  be  poured  upon  the  stone  at  a  certain  stated  moment,  and 
even  the  "  brethren "  drawn  up  on  either  side  of  the  carpet, 
upon  which  the  Prince  in  entering  would  walk,  had  their  toes 
in  the  exact  position  indicated,  and  their  banners  in  the  places 
signified  by  the  instructions  "  in  such  case  made  and  provided." 
I  will  not  trouble  my  readers  with  an  account  of  the  position 
occupied  by  the  Grand  Pursuivant,  the  Grand  Zend-Avesta 
Bearer,  the  Grand  District  Chaplain,  and  the  Ionic  light.  It  is 
of  more  importance  to  know  where  the  specially  invited  specta- 
tors were.  Under  a  beautiful  canopy,  tastefully  decorated  and 
pleasantly  ornamented  with  green  foliage,  tiers  of  seats  were 
] 'laced  on  either  side  the  central  avenue,  all  numbered  and 
ticketed.  Where  the  Rajah  of  Kholapore  and  where  the  Chief  of 
Jumkundi  should  sit,  how  many  followers  the  Khan  of  Jinjeera 
might  bring  with  him — the  gentleman  who  wears  a  gilt  Euro- 
pean chimney-pot  head-dress  upside  down — and  what  was  to 
be  done  with  them,  had  all  been  arranged.  When  they  came 
in,  therefore — those  of  them  that  did  come — they  were  taken 
to  the  seats  apportioned  to  them,  and  placed  there — not  allowed 
to  go  nearer  to  the  foundation  stone  or  further  from  it,  but 
fixed  in  the  numbered  seats,  as  though  in  the  stalls  at  a  theatre. 
At  length  a  drum-and  hie  band  outside  announced,  by  the 
nearest  imitation  to  "  God  save  the  Queen "  that  it  could  de- 
vise on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  that  the  Prince  had  arrived, 
and  then  the  regulations  began  to  work.  His  Poyal  Highness 
was  met  at  the  door  by  what  a  local  paper  calls  a  "  brilliant 
throng."  It  was  a  throng,  certainly;  of  its  brilliancy  I  am  by  no 
means  so  sure.  If,  however,  sashes  of  an  uncertain  blue  and 
collars  of  a  dingy  red  constitute  brilliancy,  the  gathering  was 
what  the  newspaper  called  it,  without  doubt.  Along  the 
avenue  formed  by  the  brethren  whose  backs  we  had  been  con- 
templating,   moved    the    procession — grand    stewards,    grand 


EOYAL   FETES.  61 

deacons,  grand  organists,  grand  bible-bearers,  some  scores  of 
grand  officers  with  sticks  and  banners,  and  all  the  implements 
of  architecture  on  cushions.  And  behind  all  came  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  preceded  by  grand  sword-bearers  and  a  gentleman, 
who,  whatever  his  technical  name,  should  be  called  grand 
candle-bearer. 

Proceeding  to  the  throne,  which  was  close  to  the  foundation 
stone,  the  Prince  sat  down,  and  was  immediately  surrounded 
by  the  "  brilliant  throng  "  and  the  brethren  who  had  kept  the 
line.  From  that  time  we  saw  no  more,  except  a  long  row  of 
badly  matched,  and  in  many  cases  indifferently  clothed,  backs. 
The  Rajahs  are  usually  patient  men  when  they  come  into 
contact  with  English  officials.  They  will  wait  almost  any 
length  of  time,  walk  almost  any  distance,  and  go  in  almost  any 
order.  But  they  could  not  stand  the  slight  put  upon  them  at 
the  docks,  and  they  quickly  rose  in  a  body  and  moved  off.  The 
backs  of  Parsee  hats  and  European  coats  were,  after  all,  not 
sufficiently  interesting  to  detain  them  any  longer.  I  am  told 
that  speeches  were  made ;  that  an  address  was  delivered  to 
the  Prince ;  and  that  his  Royal  Highness  replied  in  the  follow- 
ing terms  : 

"Right  Worshipful,  Worshipful,  and  other  Brethren, — I  thank  you  for 
your  address.  I  have  learnt  with  great  pleasure  the  flourishing  condition 
of  the  Craft  in  this  part  of  India,  and  the  efficiency  with  which  lodges 
annually  increasing  in  number  fulfil  the  objects  of  their  institution  by 
uniting  together  men  of  various  races  and  creeds  in  the  bonds  of  fraternal 
brotherhood,  by  giving  them  common  objects  of  exertion  for  extending 
the  knowledge  of  our  ancient  Craft,  and  for  promoting  the  good  of  all 
mankind.  It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  join  the  brethren  in  Bombay  in 
a  work  which  will  tend  to  the  protection  of  life  and  property,  to  the  ex- 
tension of  trade,  and  to  add  to  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of  large  bodies 
of  our  fellow-men." 

I  was  also  informed  that  at  length  the  stone  was  declared  well 
and  truly  laid,  but  I  cannot  vouch  for  this.  The  continued 
view  of  five  hundred  and  fifty-two  backs  was;  after  all,  scme- 
wliat  tedious, 


62  WITH  TEE    PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

I  wish  that  those  who  would  deprive  our  mariners  of  beer 
could  have  seen  the  sailors  of  the  fleet  at  the  entertainment 
which  began  before  the  Masonic  festival,  and  lasted  long  after 
it  was  over.  With  that  hospitality  which  is  so  characteristic 
of  the  Anglo-Indian,  the  people  of  Bombay  had  determined  to 
feast  the  men  of  the  fleet ;  and  accordingly  invited  them — two 
thousand  in  number — to  a  great  banquet  in  the  booth  where, 
on  the  day  before,  the  children  were  feted.  I  have  already 
told  you  how  the  decorations  of  the  booth  were  made  in  prison ; 
how  goldfoil  and  tinfoil  flags  were  manufactured  by  the  de- 
tained ones ;  how  wreaths  and  garlands  of  artificial  flowers  were 
contrived,  and  how  even  great  efforts  in  the  way  of  painting 
were  made.  Would  that  the  reader  could  have  seen  the  berth 
when  finished,  with  its  avenues  of  palm  leaves  and  its  coloured 
festoons;  the  table  spread  with  roast  sucking-pigs,  plum-puddings, 
ducks,  fowls,  great  pieces  of  beef,  and  all  the  rest  that  the 
sailor  loves.  I  have  hinted  that  there  was  beer  on  the  table, 
and  so  there  was.  By  each  plate  stood  a  bottle  of  Bass'  ale 
and  a  bottle  of  Guinness'  stout — not  tiny  pint  bottles,  contain- 
ing only  a  draught,  but  the  large  vessels  of  delight  known  as 
quarts.  Besides  this,  there  were  pipes — clean,  white  clays — 
and  cakes  of  tobacco,  lemonade  and  seltzer  water  for  the  tee- 
totallers, and  an  illuminated  card  as  a  souvenir  of  the  festival. 
No  wonder  that  as  the  bands  played  "  Unita  "  the  sailors  and 
marines  marched  bravely  in ;  no  marvel  that,  to  the  tune  of 
"  The  Roast  Beef  of  Old  England,"  they  grasped  their  knives 
and  forks  with  the  air  of  determined  men.  I  never  saw  food 
disappear  with  half  the  rapidity  before.  Sucking-pigs  divided 
into  quarters,  fowls  into  halves,  great  heaps  of  salad  filled  every 
plate,  and  very  soon  every  mouth  too ;  and  for  a  time  there 
was  a  silence,  only  broken  by  the  clatter  of  knives  and  forks. 
It  was  a  moment  of  action,  not  talking,  and  the  sailors  knew 
it.  Little  need  was  there  for  their  officers  to  walk  up  and 
down  to  encourage  them  to  make  themselves  at  home.     They 


ROYAL    FETES.  63 

were  quite  at  home,  and  for  half  an  hour  ate  continually,  un- 
abashed by  the  crowd  of  ladies  who  looked  on  and  envied  their 
appetites. 

But  even  sailors  cannot  eat  forever,  and  at  length  the  knives 
and  forks  were  heard  no  more,  although  more  pigs  were  on  the 
table,  and  reinforcements  of  ducks  were  being  brought  up ;  the 
mariners  were  obliged  to  fall  back  upon  their  pipes  and  beer. 
This  they  did,  and  it  was  just  in  the  midst  of  all  this  hilarity 
that  the  band  played  "  God  Save  the  Queen  "  and  the  Prince 
of  Wales  entered.  Down  went  the  pipes,  up  jumped  the 
sailors,  and  out  went  such  a  cheer  as  was  surely  never  heard 
in  Bombay  before.  And  then  they  ran  for  a  form  on  which 
the  Prince  might  stand  and  look  at  them,  whereupon  his  Royal 
Highness  jumped  up  in  the  most  good  natured  fashion  possible, 
and,  with  a  glass  of  lemonade  in  his  hand,  shouted  out  in  a 
clear,  strong  voice  :  "  My  lads,  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you.  I 
hope  you  are  all  enjoying  yourselves.  I  drink  to  the  health 
and  prosperity  of  the  Indian  and  Plying  Squadrons."  It  is 
superfluous  to  say  that  the  sailors  were  excited.  They  cheered 
again  and  again,  and  would  by  no  means  sit  down  till  his  Royal 
Highness  had  gone  the  round  of  the  tent  and  taken  his  de- 
parture in  a  carriage.  Then  the  noise  somewhat  subsided ; 
there  was  more  smoking,  and  after  that  came  singing. 

One  song  almost  deserves  to  be  given,  for  it  was  the  compo- 
sition of  a  Jack  Tar.  It  was  sung  by  a  Mr.  Spry,  the  captain  of 
the  forecastle  of  the  "  Serapis,"  and  capitally  did  he  sing  it. 
The  tune  was  the  well-known  air  of  "  God  bless  the  Prince  of 
Wales,"  and  the  men  joined  in  the  chorus,  as  though  it  were 
their  very  last  opportunity. 

"Look  at  your  noble  vessels  in  bunting    dressed  so  gay  ; 

The  sight  is  grand,  their  yards  well  manned — yes,  'tis  a  glorious  day. 

And  skimming  o'er  the  water,  like  birds  upon  the  wing, 

Are  boats,  brave  hearts  containing,  to  greet  their  future  king." 


64        WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

Chorus:  "Come,    all  ye   British  seamen ;   with  shouts  the  air 
shall  ring ; 
Three  loud  huzzas,   my  hearty  tars,   for  England's 
future  king." 

"Long  may  such  cries  of  welcome  be  heard  from  India's  shore  ! 
May  Heaven  pour  down  on  England's  crown  its  blessings  evermore  ! 
Our  tars  upon  the  ocean,  long  may  their  pennant  wave, 
Our  troops  maintain  their  glorious  name— the  bravest  of  the  brave. " 

Chorus,  &c. 

When  this  was  done,  the  band  played  polkas,  and  the  sailors 
danced  on  the  green,  with  the  tinfoil  flags  in  their  caps  and 
green  leaves  in  their  button-holes ;  and  in  this  way  the  festh  i- 
ties  were  kept  up  long  after  the  moon  had  replaced  the  sun, 
and  lit  up  the  scene  with  silvery  in  place  of  golden  rays. 

As  a  country  noted  for  struggles  and  battles,  India  may,  I 
think,  fairly  claim  to  hold  its  own  from  time  immemorial,  and 
it  has  now  another  battle  to  add  to  its  abnormally  lengthy  roll. 
It  had  been  announced  that  "  the  first  Royal  levee  ever  held  in 
this  country  "  would  take  place  at  the  Secretariat.  Those  who 
wished  to  be  presented  to  the  Prince  were  to  send  in  their 
names ;  those  who  were  selected  went,  of  course,  in  full  dress. 
Of  the  three  thousand  or  so  who  desired  to  come  a  third  received 
tickets,  and  prepared  to  go.  Now,  full  dress  meant  a  singular 
variety  of  costumes.  To  the  Parsee  it  signified  wide-spreading 
starched  petticoats;  to  the  Hindoo  a  white  dress  with  less 
starch  ;  to  the  military  man  full  uniform,  sword  and  spurs ;  to 
the  civilian  Court  dress  or  the  claw-hammer  coat.  I  am  parti- 
cular in  specifying  the  swords  and  spurs,  as  they  were  destined 
to  play  an  important  part  in  the  day's  proceedings.  I  have 
mentioned  the  dress  of  the  Parsees  and  Hindoos  for  a  similar 
reason.  The  Secretariat  is  outwardly  a  fine,  handsome  build- 
ing. Inside,  too,  it  has  a  vast  number  of  rooms,  in  which 
native  clerks  and  European  officials  transact  the  business  of  the 
Presidency  with  more  or  less  despatch.     But  it  is  not  fitted  for 


ROYAL    FETES.  65 

a  levee,  especially  when  a  thousand  persons  are  invited  to 
"  assist "  thereat.  The  afternoon  was  terribly  hot ;  scarcely  the 
faintest  breeze  came  from  the  sea,  when  the  crowd  in  "  full 
dress  "  arrived  at  the  Secretariat. 

To  make  the  position  clear  to  the  English  reader,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  say  that  a  dais  had  been  erected  at  the  side  of  one  room, 
and  that  it  had  been  arranged  that  the  Prince,  accompanied  by 
his  suite,  should  occupy  this,  while  the  happy  holders  of  cards 
marched  by  and  bowed.  To  prevent  anything  like  a  rush  into 
the  Royal  presence,  the  room  immediately  leading  into  the  re- 
ception-saloon had  been  very  judiciously  divided  into  several 
compartments  by  stout  barriers,  over  which  policemen  kept 
guard.  But  similar  precautions  were  not  taken  with  regard  to 
the  library  which  preceded  this — the  room  into  which  the  card- 
holders were  shown.  Here  was  an  apartment  capable  of  hold- 
ing a  hundred  people  without  serious  discomfort  on  a 
moderately  cool  day,  say  for  ten  minutes.  In  such  a  case  no 
particular  discomfiture  need  have  been  experienced.  But  here 
was  a  broiling  day,  the  hottest  to  which  Bombay  has  been 
treated  for  some  time,  and  by  way  of  making  amends  for  this 
additional  inconvenience  the  crowd,  as  it  arrived,  was  allowed  to 
press  into  the  room  without  let  or  hindrance.  It  is  almost  need- 
less to  say,  that  in  a  very  few  minutes  the  place  was  so  full 
that  not  another  individual  could  gain  foothold,  and  that  the 
result  was  a  very  pretty  and  instructive  scene.  I  omitted  to 
mention  that  special  directions  had  been  given  to  the  invited  to 
be  at  the  Secretariat  very  early.  Let  me  now  add  that  by  some 
misunderstanding  or  other  the  Prince  came  very  late,  and  the 
situation  will  be  understood. 

In  that  heated  room  four  hundred  persons  were  crushed 
together  with  all  the  force  that  as  many  more  coming  up  the 
staircase  could  employ;  and  for  half-an-hour  this  state  of  things 
continued  without  relief.  But  it  was  when  the  first  barrier  at 
length  opened,  and  a  dozen  or  so  of  the  perspiring  courtiers 


66  WITH    THE   PEINGE  IN   INDIA. 

wore  admitted,  that  the  fun  began.  No  sooner  did  the  barrier 
rise  for  an  instant  than  a  rush  took  place  from  all  sides  of  the 
room,  the  converging  force  of  the  crowd  bearing  upon  the  unfor- 
tunate ones  in  the  centre.  For  a  few  minutes  Parsces,  Hindoos, 
and  Englishmen  were  pushing  alike  with  all  their  might.  But 
presently  there  was  a  movement  for  which  I  could  not  account. 
The  natives  appeared  to  be  directing  their  efforts  to  getting 
away  from  the  military  men,  of  whom  there  were  scores  in  the 
'crowd,  rather  than  to  reaching  the  barrier.  There  was  a  stout 
Parsee  with  his  hat  on  the  very  back  of  his  head,  making  a 
series  of  grimaces  for  which  no  mere  pressure  could  account ; 
there  was  a  grim  smile  on  the  faces  of  officers  which  could 
scarcely  be  caused  by  the  crush  and  the  fray.  Was  it  the  full 
dress  that  had  done  it  1  Yes ;  those  military  men  wore  spurs, 
and  the  Parsee  dress  was  thin.  Need  I  say  more?  What  the 
hard  sword-handle  failed  to  effect — and  that  was  a  powerful 
agent  in  persuading  neighbouring  natives  to  move  a  little  fur- 
ther off — the  spur  achieved  with  ease.  No  Parsee  would  ven- 
ture to  place  his  unprotected  ankle  against  the  uncomfortable 
appanage  of  the  soldiers'  full-dress,  but  struggled  hard  to  place 
a  trousered  European  between  himself  and  the  warriors ;  so  the 
crowd  swayed  backward  and  forward;  coat-tails  were  torn  off; 
cravats  and  collars  became  limp ;  starched  gowns  were  tangled 
and  rent ;  and  in  the  end  the  steaming,  rumpled  crowd  passed 
by  the  Prince  in  a  dishevelled,  disreputable  condition,  such  as 
might  be  expected  of  men,  who,  for  nearly  an  hour,  had  been 
mangled  in  such  a  throng  on  such  a  day. 

Once  in  the  reception-hall,  however,  everything  was  well 
arranged.  To  the  right  of  the  Prince  stood  Sir  Philip  Wode- 
house ;  on  the  left  of  his  Royal  Highness  were  the  Duke  of 
Sutherland,  Lord  Alfred  Paget,  and  Lord  Charles  Beresford,  all 
in  uniform.  Behind  them  were  ranged  the  Government  ser- 
vants, attired  in  scarlet  coats,  and  wearing  turbans  of  white 
and  gold.     These  took  it  by  turns  to  wave  the  huge  gilt  pun- 


EOYAL   FETES.  67 

kalis,  or  fans  attached  to  the  ceiling,  and  so  stirred  the  air, 
and  rendered  the  heat  less  oppressive  than  it  would  otherwise 
have  been.  As  for  the  Prince,  it  is  almost  needless  to  say  that 
he  received  those  who  were  presented,  pleasantly,  bowing  grace- 
fully to  them  as  they  went  by,  and  now  and  then  bestowing 
some  particular  mark  of  approbation  upon  well-known  and 
honoured  members  of  the  community. 

Immediately  after  the  levee  the  Prince  was  conducted  to  a 
wide- stretching  piece  of  grass-land  near  the  Esplanade,  where 
some  thousands  of  the  children  of  Bombay  were  being  feasted 
and  amused.  It  is  impossible  to  imagine  a  prettier  sight  than 
that  which  these  little  ones  presented.  A  huge  bower  of  leaves 
and  coloured  bunting,  divided  into  compartments  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  resemble  a  miniature  forest,  had  been  erected  for 
them,  and  inside  this  the  children  had  been  treated  to  tea,  ices, 
fruit,  and  cakes.  By  the  time  the  Prince  arrived,  however,  they 
had  all  left  the  booth  and  taken  up  their  position  in  long  lines 
opposite  a  kind  of  stand  erected  for  the  reception  of  his  Royal 
Highness,  and  here  they  patiently  waited  the  coming  of  the 
Prince.  The  great  characteristic  of  a  Bombay  crowd  is  the 
variety  of  colour  which  is  massed  together,  and  in  the  case  of 
the  children  this  was  especially  noticeable.  Nearly  all  the 
Parsee  boys  wore  gold  or  silver  caps,  black  velvet  jackets 
trimmed  with  gold  lace,  and  little  silken  knickerbockers  of 
various  hues.  The  girls  had  light  shawls  over  their  heads — 
cerise,  light  blue,  bright  green,  yellow,  pink,  purple,  and  white 
being  the  most  common.  The  effect  was  exceedingly  striking, 
and  could  not  have  been  produced  in  any  other  country.  Sud- 
denly a  signal  was  given,  and  all  the  little  ones  jumped  up  and 
began  to  cheer.  Simultaneously  the  carriage  of  the  Prince, 
escorted  by  a  body-guard  of  Dragoons,  entered  the  enclosure, 
and  hastened  up  to  the  stand.  Without  any  delay  his  Royal 
Highness  alighted,  mounted  to  the  place  assigned  to  him,  and 
bowed  repeatedly  to  Lis  tiny  admirers,  who  testified  in  every 


68  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

possible  way  their  delight  at  thus  seeing  the  Prince.  But,  if  they 
cheered  when  he  thus  bowed  to  them  and  smiled,  their  voices 
rose  to  the  shrillest  pitch  when  a  pretty  Parsee  girl,  stepping 
lightly  up  to  his  Royal  Highness,  made  him  a  deep  curtsey,  and 
then  threw  a  garland  of  white  flowers  over  his  neck.  They 
jumped  on  the  forms  and  waved  their  hands  ;  they  shouted,  and 
stamped,  and  clapped  their  hands  together,  and  danced  for  very 
joy  at  thus  seeing  the  distinguished  stranger  accepting  their 
gift,  and  actually  standing  in  front  of  them  with  the  garland  on. 
A  moment  later,  another  little  girl  ran  up  the  steps  of  the  stage 
and  presented  the  Prince  with  a  bouquet  of  flowers ;  whereat 
the  children  cheered  again. 

But  the  ceremony  of  the  evening,  so  far  as  the  little  ones 
were  concerned,  was  yet  to  come.  A  lane  was  formed  in  front 
of  the  stand,  and  thither  a  number  of  pretty  girls  and  bo}Ts  were 
conducted.  Then,  amid  perfect  silence,  these  young  people 
struck  up  a  song  in  Guzerathi  in  honour  of  the  Prince.  First, 
the  girls  would  sing,  clapping  their  hands  together  now  and 
then  in  a  rhythmical  manner  ;  then  the  boys  would  reply,  and 
presently  all  would  join  in  a  strange  chorus.  Sometimes  their 
song  was  low,  almost  in  a  whisper ;  then  they  would  shout  out 
with  all  their  might,  and  make  the  air  ring  again.  Perhaps 
their  chant  was  a  little  long,  and,  to  those  who  could  not  under- 
stand it,  a  little  tedious ;  but  his  Royal  Highness  looked  graci- 
ously on,  and,  when  it  was  finished,  thanked  his  little  admirers, 
and  so  drove  away  amidst  more  cheering  than  ever.  These 
were  the  words  of  the  song : 

"All  hail  to  thee  !  most  noble  Prince  ;  this  day 
To  thee  in  song  we  would  our  homage  pay ; 
Though  far  away  thy  mother's  splendour  streams, 
These  distant  realms  are  gladdened  by  the  beams, 
When  thou,  her  empire's  heir,  our  Prince,  art  fouud 
Here,  in  our  midst,  upon  the  Indian  ground, 
While  all  the  nation  rises  up  to  greet 


UOYAL    FETES.  69 

Our  Royal  guest.     But  for  a  welcome  meet 
What  can  we  render  but  our  loyal  love, 
And  hope  that  all  thy  life  may  noble  prove  !" 

As  the  sun  was  setting,  fireworks  were  sent  up  for  the 
amusement  of  the  little  singers  and  their  companions,  and  then 
they  dispersed. 

Perhaps  the  most  enjoyable  fete  at  which  his  Royal  Highness 
was  present  in  or  about  Bombay  was  the  visit  to  the  Caves  of 
Elephanta.  It  had  been  previously  announced  that  the  trip 
would  take  place  at  evening,  that  the  caves  would  be  illumi- 
nated, that  the  fleet  would  be  lighted  up,  that  fireworks  would 
be  let  off,  and  that  a  pic-nic  would  take  place ;  and  to  gain  invi- 
tations half  Bombay  excited  itself.  They  would  have  given  up 
the  receptions,  their  seats  at  the  dock  stone-laying  ceremony, 
and  even  sacrificed  their  tickets  for  the  Masonic  ball,  for  the 
sake  of  the  Elephanta  Caves  and  its  delights.  But  it  was  all  to 
no  purpose — only  160  were  invited,  and  these  started  from  the 
Apollo  pier.  It  was  a  particularly  bright  afternoon  when  we 
assembled  on  the  pier,  ready  to  embark  on  board  one  of  the 
three  steamers  which  were  in  waiting  for  passengers.  The 
ships  in  the  harbour  were  gay  with  bunting;  over  the  purple 
hills  which  skirt  the  water  could  be  seen  a  dark  blue  sky  of 
which  you  have  no  idea  in  England;  the  sun's  rays  danced 
merrily  on  the  waves ;  while,  through  the  crevices  in  the  rocks, 
where  light  did  not  penetrate  so  readily,  and  which  thus  enabled 
the  eye  to  overcome  the  glare,  could  be  seen  the  round  moon 
rising.  A  few  more  minutes  and  we  were  all  on  board ;  a  very 
few  minutes  later  and  the  sun  had  suddenly  disappeared  below 
the  horizon. 

There  are  certain  sights  which  remain  impressed  on  the 
mind ;  such  a  one  shortly  presented  itself  to  us  who  were  bound 
for  the  Elephanta  Caves.  Let  me  say  that  these  caves  are  situ, 
a  ted  in  the  centre  of  a  huge  hill  which  rises  abruptly  from  an 
island,  and  may  be  seen  for  miles.     All  over  the  sides  of  the 


70  1VITI1  THE  PklNCE  Itf  INDIA. 

hill  is  j  angle — thick,  impassable  bush  :  rumour  says,  full  of 
snakes — a  grand  spot  being  left  here  and  there  for  those  who 
love  pick-nicking  and  a  day  in  the  wild  parts  of  the  island. 
To  reach  the  temple  or  cave  in  which  the  Hindoos  many  years 
ago  worshipped,  it  is  necessary  to  ascend  a  long  flight  of  stone 
steps ;  and  here  it  was  that  the  ingenuity  of  those  whose  busi- 
ness it  was  to  arrange  the  fete  had  first  exerted  itself.  All 
along  these  steps,  reaching  nearly  to  the  top  of  the  mountain, 
were  brilliant  lines  of  light,  thousands  of  tiny  lamps  suspended 
from  arched  supports  all  along  the  line  of  passage,  right  up  to 
the  very  mouth  of  the  caves.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  we 
great]}'  admired  all  this,  and  were  not  long  in  going  up  the 
ascent,  and  ranging  ourselves  in  lines,  in  order  that  the  Prince 
might  pass  through  to  the  banqueting-hall .  for  the  caves  were 
arranged  for  a  banquet  of  no  unimportant  character — not  a 
mere  "snack"  of  refreshment,  but  a  substantia]  repast,  such  as 
people  need  at  six  in  the  evening  who  have  come  a  considerable 
distance  on  the  sea.  When  his  Eoyal  Highness  came  the  band 
struck  up  merrily,  the  guests  went  to  their  places,  and  the  feast 
began. 

The  native  religion  and  the  native  temple  may  ordinarily  be 
dark,  but  we  certainly  had  light  enough.  From  the  rocky  ceil- 
ing hung  large  chandeliers;  from  the  floor  rose  pyramids  of 
light  in  the  shape  of  devices  in  lanterns;  the  dais  on  which  the 
Prince  sat  was  glittering  with  wax  candles,  and  even  the 
smaller  caves,  which  boasted  curious  histories,  were  illuminated 
in  like  manner.  It  is  unnecessary  to  detail  the  banquet;  and 
as  for  the  speech,  it  was  comprised  in  a  single  sentence  by  Sir 
Philip  Wodehouse,  who  murmured  :  "Gentlemen,  I  propose  the 
health  of  'The  Queen,'"  and  then  sat  down;  whereupon  the 
Prince  rose,  and  departed  to  view  the  caves,  the  company  fol- 
lowing. A  short  inspection  sufficed,  and  the  steamers  were 
quickly  filled  in  anticipation  of  the  return  voyage.  A  few 
minutes  effected  a  start,  and  then  one  of  the  finest  pyrotechnic 


tiOYAL    FETES.  71 

displays  ever  seen  was  witnessed.  On  the  top  of  the  hill  rose  a 
great  blaze;  down  the  steps  the  light  of  the  lamps  was  changed 
successively  from  white  to  red,  blue,  and  green;  the  line  of  fire 
was  continued  to  the  water's  edge,  and  even  blazed  brightly  on 
the  water.  It  was  a  volcanic  mountain  in  eruption,  with  the 
huge  crater  in  full  play  and  the  red-hot  lava  running  down  the 
sides.  And  as  for  the  ships  in  the  harbour,  they  suddenly  sprang 
into  light,  too,  and  from  stem  to  stern,  from  yardarm  to  yard- 
arm,  from  masthead  to  boom-point,  blazed  with  illumination. 
As  the  Royal  steamer  and  those  containing  the  guests  passed 
between  the  lines  of  men-of-war,  blue  portfires  were  burned, 
thousands  of  rockets  went  up,  and  altogether  the  energy  of  the 
sailors  was  so  great  and  the  supply  of  rockets  so  plentiful,  that 
one  might  readily  have  imagined  a  great  naval  action  to  be  tak- 
ing place,  or  have  supposed  that  the  bombardment  of  Bombay 
was  in  full  swing.  We  moved  along  quickly,  wondering  greatly 
at  the  grand  display,  but  perhaps  a  little  glad  to  be  out  of  reach 
of  the  falling  sticks,  till  we  reached  the  Apollo  Bunder,  and 
there  searched  till  after  midnight  for  carriages  that  had  strayed 
or  drivers  who  had  gone 

Of  minor  incidents  there  were  many — the  visits  paid  by 
the  chiefs  and  the  return  visits  to  the  chief,  the  receptions  at 
Government  House,  Parell,  and  the  Masonic  ball  on  Thursday 
night,  all  aiding  to  fill  up  the  time  which  remained  after  the 
major  ceremonies  had  been  arranged. 

Up  to  this  time  the  Prince  had  not  given  away  any  of  his 
fire-engines  or  organs.  Whom  they  were  intended  for  re- 
mained yet  to  be  seen  ;  books,  swords,  and  rifles  mainly  repre- 
senting his  Royal  Highness'  gifts  up  to  this  period.  Of  course 
these  gifts  were  selected  with  a  view  of  suiting  the  particular 
tastes  and  needs  of  the  recipients.  Thus  the  Rajah  of  Khola- 
pore,  aged  fourteen,  h%rl  a  gold  snuff-box,  with  the  Prince's 
monogram  on  the  outside  of  the  lid,  a  silver  medal  commemo- 
rative of  the  visit,  a  large  sword,  and  some  English  books  of 


72  WITH  THE  PRINCE  Ift   INDIA. 

pictures.  The  Maharajah  of  Oodeypore,  aged  eighteen,  got  a 
snuff-box,  a  book  of  English  coronation  ceremonials,  a  sword,  a 
rifle,  a  medal,  and  a  riding-whip.  The  Guicowar,  aged  nine, 
received  a  particularly  large  snuff-box,  a  sword  longer  than  he 
is  tall,  an  album  of  photographs,  a  book  of  engravings,  a  medal, 
and  a  watch  and  chain.  A  very  irreverent  person  suggested 
that  a  handsome  whistle,  a  top,  and  a  box  of  the  best  building 
bricks  would  have  been  more  suitable ;  but  he  was  very  pro- 
perly suppressed.  Somehow  or  other,  the  Nizam  of  Hydera- 
bad's representative  received  no  snuff-box,  but  in  place  of  that 
got,  for  his  Royal  but  youthful  master,  a  huge  silver  flagon  of 
the  time  of  Marlborough  (teetotallers  mark  that !),  three  rifles, 
a  ring,  some  "  valuable  "  books,  and  a  scabbard  belt.  The  Ma- 
harajah of  Mysore,  who  has  nearly  reached  the  mature  age  of 
fourteen,  found  himself  the  proud  possessor  of  a  snuff-box,  a 
silver  flagon— also  of  Marlborough's  time — a  sword  and  scabbard 
belt,  three  books  ("  valuable,"  of  course),  a  riding  whip,  and  a 
pair  of  field-glasses — at  which  extraordinary  miscellaneous 
assortment  his  Highness  seemed  somewhat  amazed. 

The  presents  made  to  the  Prince  already  would  fill  a  large 
museum  admirably.  Daggers,  Cutchee  guns,  tea-services, 
rhinoceros-hide  shields,  swords,  lances,  glass,  necklaces,  ank- 
lets, bracelets,  shawls,  carpets,  ancient  guns,  suits  of  armour, 
jewels,  and  cups  only  represented  part  of  the  things — they  were 
almost  as  diversified  as  the  selection  the  Prince's  advisers  made, 
and  almost  as  useless.  A  white  elephant,  a  mangoose,  a  box  of 
snakes  would  complete  the  collection. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


LIFE    IN   POONA. 


How  the  Prince  was  received  at  Poona,  how  he  listened  to 
an  address  and  made  a  suitable  reply,  and  how  he  afterwards 
drove  to  the  Government  House,  which  is  called  Gunnesh 
Khind,  and  then  gave  a  ball,  needs  no  description.  I  propose, 
however,  to  give  you  some  idea  of  what  kind  of  place  it  was 
which  his  Royal  Highness  visited,  and  how  the  time  was  spent. 

Poona  is,  without  doubt,  a  lovely  city.  High  up  among  the 
hills,  some  three  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
though  actually  situated  on  a  wide  plain  or  expanse  of  table- 
land, it  is  refreshed  by  brisk  breezes,  which  greatly  temper  the 
heat  of  the  sun.  If  the  days  are  sultry  the  evenings  are  cool ; 
even  when  the  sun  is  highest  there  is  a  shade  under  the  wide- 
spreading  trees  which  fill  its  gardens  and  overhang  its  roads. 
Its  houses — I  refer,  of  course,  to  those  occupied  by  Europeans 
— are  half  hidden  by  the  foliage  of  plantain,  mango,  fig,  and 
tamarind.  Beautiful  shrubs  with  bright  scarlet  leaves,  roses 
by  thousands,  and  myriads  of  convolvuli  are  on  every  hand, 
and  even  the  hedges  of  prickly  pear  lend  their  own,  wild  grace 
to  complete  the  scene.  Such  a  place  needed  but  little  decora- 
tion. It  was  like  attempting  to  ornament  a  conservatory ;  and 
this  the  good  people  of  Poona  saw,  and  very  wisely  noted.  No 
festoons  of  artificial  flowers,  therefore,  spanned  the  road,  no 
mimic  branches  of  palm  were  made  into  imitation  bowers. 
Triumphal  arches  there  were,  but  they  were  in  keeping  with 
the  idea  of  an  Eastern  city,  and  one  was  especially  worthy  of 
notice.  A  light,  semi-circular  structure  spanned  the  road.  Its 
centre  was  a  huge  glass  square,  surmounted  by  a  dome,  such  as 

5 


74  WITH  THE  FRINGE  IN  INDIA. 

you  see  at;  the  top  of  every  mosque.  On  either  side  this  was 
supported  by  another  glass  square  and  four  minarets.  The 
whole  was  coloured  a  rich  blue,  and  then  further  ornamented 
with  gold  and  silver  leaf.  On  the  lower  part  of  the  arch  itself 
was  written  in  Persian,  "  A  thousand  welcomes  to  the  Prince," 
also  in  letters  of  gold ;  flags  hung  from  Venetian  masts  at  its 
sides,  the  whole  being  flanked  by  large  trees  covered  with  great, 
green  leaves. 

But,  if  no  paper  roses  or  linen  lilies  decorated  the  road,  the 
place  had  been  made  to  assume  a  very  holiday-like  appearance; 
for  from  the  branches  of  the  trees  were  suspended  many  thou- 
sands of  Chinese  lanterns,  like  brilliantly-painted  fruit;  from  the 
pathway  rose  pyramidal  stands  for  the  support  of  lamps  and 
glasses,  and  wherever  colour  could  lend  its  aid  it  was  enlisted 
in  the  work.  Leaving  all  this  pleasant  view  behind,  the  cool 
bungalows  in  their  luxurious  retreats,  the  splendid  trees,  and 
the  well-built  arches,  I  drove  into  the  native  quarter,  which 
was  preparing,  in  its  way,  too,  to  receive  the  Prince.  Poona 
European,  Poona  fashionable,  may  change  every  day.  Wealthy 
Parsees  from  Bombay,  well-paid  civilians,  strangers  and  so- 
journers though  they  may  be  in  the  land,  will  come  up  and 
build  new  houses,  enclose  new  gardens,  and  decorate  new  bunga- 
lows, and  the  face  of  Poona  where  Englishmen  live  will  alter 
continually.  Native  Poona,  the  city  that  was  captured  by  the 
English  half  a  century  ago,  is  the  same  forever.  If  it  existed 
in  the  time  of  Abraham,  it  was  much  in  the  same  condition 
then  as  now — the  manners  of  the  people  and  their  dwelling- 
places,  their  temples  and  their  bazaar. 

I  thought  it  would  be  interesting  to  see  whether  these  ancient 
streets  and  thoroughfares  had  any  welcome  for  the  Prince,  or 
whether  the  inhabitants,  having  come  out  into  the  high  road 
and  stared  their  fill,  had  gone  back  to  undecorated  homes  to 
forget  all  about  the  great  Sahib  who  had  just  made  his  entry. 
My  first  glance  augured  badly.     In  the  street  upon  which  I 


LIFE  IN  FOONA.  75 

came  a  temple  was  open,  the  people  were  pouring  in,  a  priest 
was  outside  inviting  worshippers  to  enter,  and  a  band  of  four 
tomtoms  and  five  reed-pipes  was  making  a  terrible  din.  The 
only  decoration  visible  was  a  painting  upon  a  wall  representing 
the  goddess  Parbuttee  with  four  arms  and  a  spear,  seated  in  a 
chariot  mounted  on  five  wheels,  killing  a  tiger  with  seven  legs, 
a  blue  head,  and  a  red  tail.  As  a  work  of  art  it  was  incom- 
parable, but  from  the  loyal  point  of  view  it  was  just  then 
worthless.  Parbuttee  may  have  been  the  dread  of  tigers  of 
this  description,  and  very  properly  so  too ;  but  the  pictorial 
record  of  her  killing  them  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  entry  of 
the  Prince  of  Wales.  My  disappointment  was  but  momentary. 
A  corner  turned,  another  street  entered,  the  line  of  route  which 
the  Prince  must  take  if  he  wished  to  touch  upon  the  bazaar, 
and  the  decorations  sprang  up  on  every  side. 

Pray  do  not  imagine  for  a  moment  that  gilded  trophies  of  art 
or  massive  archways  of  highly-decorated  and  well-stretched  can- 
vas were  numerous,  or  that  Defries  had  been  called  in  and  given 
unlimited  instructions  to  decorate  the  place  according  to  his 
latest  designs.  There  were  flags ;  but  they  were  mostly  of  the 
pocket-handkerchief  size,  and  in  many  cases  were  actually  small 
pocket-handkerchiefs ;  there  were  triumphal  arches,  but  they 
were  generally  composed  of  three  very  rough  scaffold-poles,  a 
couple  of  sheets,  and  a  pendant  portrait  of  his  Royal  Highness 
as  sold  in  Germany  for  half  a  thaler.  Festoons  and  wreaths 
were  there ;  but  nothing  half  so  funny  had  ever  been  seen  before. 
Decorations  were  made  with  ragged  blankets,  strips  of  red  cloth, 
pieces  of  coloured  paper,  and  old  curtains,  at  which  the  tiniest 
English  boy  would  have  laughed,  had  he  seen  them ;  and  alto- 
gether the  decorations  of  the  streets,  setting  aside  the  lamps  for 
the  illuminations,  which  were  very  numerous,  could  scarcely 
have  been  worth  many  shillings.  Yet,  worthless  as  were  the 
materials,  these  simple  offerings  of  loyalty  were  more  valuable 
than  many  a  splendid  monument  in  the  outer  town.    No  wealthy 


76  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

Parsee  dependent  on  the  continuance  of  British  rule  for  very- 
existence  had  supplied  these  decorations;  no  rich  civilian, 
drawing  high  pay  from  Government,  had  paid  for  these  flags. 
They  were  the  freewill-offering  of  a  well-governed,  satisfied, 
happy  people — the  once  conquered  but  now  loyal  Mahrattas ;  the 
once  formidable  but  now  friendly  Mohammedans  and  Hindoos. 
They  did  not  cheer  a  great  deal  when  they  saw  the  Prince  ;  the 
reception  they  gave  him  was  cordial,  though  not  enthusiastic  ; 
but  they  went  away  to  their  homes  and  testified  that  they  were 
glad  to  see  him  by  doing  what  they  could  to  make  their  hovels 
and  temples,  their  tanks  and  their  shops,  look  pleasant,  in  case 
his  carriage  should  chance  to  drive  that  way  during  his  stay  in 
Poona. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  on  the  Sunday  afternoon  when  I 
drove  from  Poona  to  the  hill  and  temple  of  Parbuttee.  On  the 
road  some  scores  of  pilgrims,  carrying  flowers,  bags  of  rice,  and 
in  some  cases  little  bags  of  money,  were  toiling  along  in  the 
direction  of  the  sacred  staircase  and  the  shrine  of  Shiva.  Some 
were  walking ;  a  party  of  five  had  chosen  camels  as  a  means  of 
transit ;  one  gentleman,  who,  by  the  way,  presently  said  one  of 
the  longest  prayers  on  record,  was  going  on  a  bullock;  and 
three  or  four  were  moving  along  on  their  knees.  These  last 
appeared  to  be  very  holy  men,  for  their  hair  was  very  long, 
their  faces  were  very  dirty,  and  their  costume,  to  use  the  mildest 
term,  was  insufficient.  At  length  we  reached  the  foot  of  the 
staircase  which  leads  to  the  top  of  the  sacred  hill.  This  cele- 
brated temple,  perched  as  it  is  on  the  top  of  an  eminence  over- 
looking a  vast  champain,  with  its  towers,  walls,  and  steps, 
reminded  me  very  much  of  "Windsor  Castle. 

After  some  toil  the  summit  was  reached,  and  a  man  whose 
head  was  clean  shaven,  all  but  a  small  top-knot,  introduced 
himself  as  the  second  priest.  The  chief,  who  was  eighty  or 
thereabouts,  was  just  then  engaged  in  counting  the  rupees, 
annas,  and  pice  which  the  faithful  had  brought  during  the  day, 


THE  ASCENT  TO   THE   TEMPLE   OF  PARBUTTEE,   NEAR   POONA. 


LIFE  IN  POONA.  77 

and  mentally  apportioning  the  sum  he  had  to  divide.  The  col- 
lection of  coins  appeared  valuable  ;  and,  when  this  old  teacher 
and  priest  did  presently  condescend  to  speak,  it  was  money 
that  formed  his  principal  topic.  Not  so  the  priest  who  volun- 
teered to  conduct  me  through  the  temple.  "  I'm  a  Brahmin," 
he  remarked,  "  and  a  priest  here.  I  dare  say  you  wonder,"  he 
continued,  "  at  the  way  I  speak  English.  There  is  no  need  for 
wonder.  I  was  educated  at  the  Deccan  College  in  Poona." 
Educated  he  certainly  had  been,  for  his  diction  was  as  good  as 
that  of  most  Englishmen.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  as  we  entered  the 
shrine,  "education  is  a  good  thing.  It  expands  the  mind. 
There's  the  god  of  learning,  you  see  "  (pointing  to  an  extra- 
ordinary image  with  ever  so  many  animals'  heads).  "  And 
there,"  continued  the  educated  man,  directing  his  index-finger 
towards  another  indescribable  figure,  "  is  the  god  of  light." 
"  Do  you  think  the  Prince  will  come  here  1 "  enquired  the  priest, 
as  we  mounted  another  short  flight  of  steps,  and  looked  out  of 
the  window  fi*om  which  the  last  Peshwa  watched  the  defeat  of 
his  troops  in  the  battle  of  Khirkee ;  u  because,  if  he  does,  I 
dare  say  he'll  make  us  a  nice  present.  What  with  illuminating 
the  place  last  night  and  white- washing  it  throughout,  I've  spent 
a  good  deal  of  money.  The  Governor  of  Bombay  came  and 
gave  us  80  rupees,  the  Viceroy  sent  a  letter  with  120  rupees  in 
notes  the  day  after  he  came,  and  I  think  his  Royal  Highness 
would  behave  handsomely.     I  certainly  hope  he  will  come." 

It  was  a  singular  picture  which  presented  itself  at  this 
moment.  Over  the  plain,  in  the  centre  of  which  Poona  lay, 
half  hidden  by  th'  ^'ee3,  could  be  seen  still  coming,  worshippers 
by  the  hundred.  A\>  ul  ^  very  moment  when  the  bells  in  the 
shrine  were  tinkling  in  honour  of  Shiva,  the  bells  in  the  church 
steeples  of  Poona  were  ringing  the  Sunday  chime;  and  the 
worshippers  of  the  Genius  of  Destruction  were  passing  on  their 
way  to  their  devotions,  the  Votaries  of  the  Genius  of  Love.  I 
enquired  how  many  pilgrims  visited  the  shrine,  and  learned 


78  WITR  THE  PBIXCE   Itf  INDIA. 

about  2,000  a  day  was  the  usual  number.  Moreover,  I  found 
that  eighty  priests  live  on  the  corn,  wine,  and  oil  that  the  de- 
vout bring  thither,  and  that,  to  enable  them  to  eke  out  their 
religious  existence,  Government  grants  the  temple  an  annual 
subsidy,  which  was  till  lately  30,000  rupees,  but  is  now  24,000. 
"  Everybody  that  comes  here  gives  something,"  thoughtfully  re- 
marked the  priest  as  I  turned  to  go,  and  he  held  out  a  box.  in 
which  I  deposited  a  rupee ;  whereupon  a  horrible  crew  of  de- 
formed ones  followed  me  down  the  steps  uttering  loud  cries  for 
relief,  and  a  score  of  children  whose  knowledge  of  English  was 
confined  to  "  Sahib,  give,"  continued  the  chase  for  a  quarter  of 
a  mile. 

Next  morning,  a  little  before  eight  o'clock,  the  Prince,  ac- 
companied by  his  suite,  rode  to  Parbuttee,  and  visited  the 
shrine.  Breakfast  was  provided  by  Sir  Philip  "Wodehouse  at 
the  foot  of  the  steps,  and  there  were  actually  elephants  ready 
to  convey  his  Royal  Highness  up  the  ascent ;  with  such  aid, 
the  Prince  at  length  stood  on  the  summit,  and  looked  at  the 
shrine.  The  educated  Brahmin  was  there,  and  did  the  honours 
of  the  place  with  due  form  ;  and  in  the  end  he  got  the  antici- 
pated present  from  the  Prince  in  the  shape  of  a  large  bag  of 
rupees  (200,  I  believe),  which  he  afterwards  shared  with  the 
amiable  old  gentleman  whose  peculiar  province  appeared  to  be 
the  care  of  money  and  valuables. 

The  review  at  Poona  was  a  decided  success.  By  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  the  troops  were  on  the  ground.  The  site 
chosen  was  the  race-course,  a  few  miles  from  the  spot  where  the 
celebrated  battle  of  Khirkee,  which  decided  the  fate  of  the 
Mahratta  nation,  was  fought.  Over  the  very  ground  on  which 
the  1st  Division  of  the  Bombay  Army  now  stood,  Mahratta 
cavalry  were  wont  to  manoeuvre  daily,  and,  as  though  the  in- 
tention was  to  show  the  difference  between  the  old  order  of 
things  and  the  new,  not  a  single  horseman,  except  the  few  who 
kept  the  ground,  was  placed  on  parade.      Let  us  look  at  the 


Life  in  poonA.  *79 

picture  which  is  presented  for  the  Prince's  inspection  by  the 
troops  under  that  admirable  soldier,  Lord  Mark  Kerr. 

In  the  centre  of  a  plain,  surrounded  by  hills,  are  two  long 
lines  of  infantry  soldiers,  flanked  on  either  side  by  artillery. 
Nearer  inspection  shows  these  foot-soldiers  to  comprise  seven 
battalions  of  native  infantry  and  two  English  battalions.  The 
white  men,  belonging  to  the  7th  Fusiliers  and  the  15th  of  the 
Line,  comprise  the  right  wing;  the  1st  Bombay  Grenadiers, 
distinguishable  by  their  red  caps,  are  in  the  centre ;  while  on 
the  left  are  the  rest  of  the  native  regiments,  dressed  similarly 
to  English  troops,  save  that  in  place  of  the  helmet  they  wear  a 
white  puggaree.  They  are  drawn  up  in  close  order  ;  the  guns, 
on  the  right,  are  ready  to  salute  the  Royal  party  when  it  shall 
arrive  ;  and  Lord  Mark  Kerr,  with  his  suite,  as  general  of  the 
division,  is  the  centre,  just  in  front  of  the  band. 

To  see  the  pleasant  show  the  Mahrattas  of  all  the  country 
round,  to  say  nothing  of  Poona  itself,  have  come  in  many  thou- 
sands, and,  as  is  their  wont  on  such  occasions,  are  squatted  on 
their  haunches,  and  are  chattering  with  all  the  glee  of  children. 
There  is  little  need  of  the  policemen  with  whips  to  keep  them 
in  order ;  they  are  far  too  deeply  interested  in  the  spectacle  to 
be  troublesome,  as  their  simple  faces  and  clasped  hands  clearly 
indicate.  Besides,  they  have  on  their  very  best  turbans,  and 
the  starchiest  of  white  gowns  they  can  boast — to  say  nothing 
of  the  fact  that  every  papa  amongst  them  has  brought  all  his 
sons,  and  that  hundreds  of  these  little  people  are  seated  with 
their  elders,  munching  sugar-cane  and  plantains,  and  adding 
their  share  to  the  general  hubbub.  Up  in  the  grand  stand  the 
ilite  of  the  town  are  perched — the  collectors,  revenue  officers, 
officials  of  all  kinds,  and  military  men,  together  with  ladies 
whose  brilliant  dresses  add  to  the  picturesqueness  of  the  scene. 
Then  there  is  just  such  a  long  line  of  carriages  as  one  sees  on  a 
fashionable  race-course  in  England,  extending  to  a  great  dis- 
tance, and  constituting  altogether  a  very  creditable  turn-out  for 
an  Indian  city. 


80  WITH  THE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

Presently,  Sir  Charles  Staveley,  who  is  just  now  Commander- 
in-chief  of  the  Bombay  Army,  comes  upon  the  ground,  and 
rides  about  as  nervously  as  he  used  to  do  in  the  days  at  Alder- 
shot,  when  he  was  trying  to  discover  the  whereabouts  of  Carey 
and  Lysons.  Sir  Charles  Staveley  has  very  good  reason  to  be 
anxious,  for  time  is  flying,  and  there  is  no  sign  of  the  Prince. 
At  last  an  orderly  gallops  across  the  ground,  waves  his  hand  to 
the  artillery,  and  the  guns  on  the  left  begin  to  fire  the  Royal 
salute.  A  minute  later  the  Prince  arrives,  followed  by  his 
suite,  and,  preceded  by  General  Mark  Kerr,  at  once  ga41ops 
over  to  the  artillery  and  begins  an  inspection  of  the  line.  All 
of  a  sudden  a  horse  is  seen  to  rear  and  throw  its  rider.  The 
animal  dashes  across  the  plain,  and  is  making  for  the  crowd, 
when  a  native  officer  rushes  pluckily  up  and  stops  it.  He  has 
scarcely  done  so  before  a  rider  is  seen  spurring  his  charger  to- 
wards the  grand  stand,  calling  for  a  surgeon.  "Somebody's 
hurt  j  who  can  it  be  1 "  is  the  question  anxiously  asked,  and 
field  glasses  are  turned  towards  the  Royal  party,  whither  the 
doctor  is  making  his  way.  Then  it  is  seen  that  Lord  Charles 
Beresford  is  being  lifted  into  a  palanquin,  and  that  he  is  in- 
sensible. The  Prince  must  needs  go  on  and  inspect  the  troops ; 
but  the  sufferer  is  left  in  very  good  hands,  and  is  slowly 
brought  up  to  the  grand  stand,  where  a  carriage  is  procured 
and  waits  for  him.  Dr.  Fayrer  and  Dr.  Close  lift  their  charge 
very  carefully  into  the  carriage,  and,  on  examining  him,  find 
that,  though  shaken,  he  is  after  all  not  seriously  hurt.  They 
give  him  a  glass  of  champagne,  which  so  revives  him  that  he 
forthwith  takes  a  cigar,  and  is  conveyed  home. 

Meanwhile  the  troops  are  forming  up  on  the  left,  the  Prince 
has  returned  to  the  flagstaff,  and  the  artillery  are  coming  past 
at  a  walk.  Steadily,  in  half-batteries,  well-trained  and  with 
admirable  precision,  these  famous  gunners  go  by,  the  spectators 
applauding  their  soldierly  appearance.  Following  them,  come 
the  men  of  the  7th,  the  band  playing  a  capital  march  and  the 


LIFE   IN   POOKA.  81 

troops  stepping  out  admirably.  They  are  followed  by  the  1st 
Bombay  Grenadiers,  whom  we  just  now  saw  in  line — a  fine 
battalion,  well  drilled,  dressing  well,  and  going  by  in  grand 
divisions  almost  as  steadily  as  the  European  regiment  which 
preceded  it.  Three  more  battalions  of  native  infantry  follow, 
also  in  grand  divisions,  and  also  in  good  order.  This  closes  the 
first  brigade,  and  the  second  is  not  far  behind.  But  just  at  this 
moment  there  is  a  snort,  and  at  a  terrific  pace,  with  a  terrified 
man  on  his  back,  another  horse  shoots  across  the  plain,  and 
darting  through  the  Prince's  suite,  only  clearing  the  Prince  by 
about  a  yard,  dashes  in  amongst  the  crowd.  To  all  appearance 
there  must  be  great  loss  of  life,  for  the  people  cannot  get  away, 
closed  in  as  they  are  by  carriages,  when  it  is  seen  that  a  mounted 
officer  has  stopped  horse  and  rider  by  a  swift  jerk,  and  prevented 
what  threatened  to  be  a  fearful  disaster.  All  this  is  done  in 
much  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell,  and  the  Australian  horse 
is  in  safe  keeping  side  by  side  with  the  animal  which  threw 
Lord  Charles  Beresford.  The  troops  having  gone  by  are  now 
re-formed,  and  come  past  again  in  close  column  of  battalions, 
the  artillery  rattling  along  at  a  quick  trot  and  keeping  good 
time.  Just  as  it  is  getting  dusk,  the  whole  are  brought  into 
line  again  and  advance,  the  bands  play  "  God  save  the  Queen," 
the  troops  present  arms,  the  review  is  over,  and  the  Royal 
party  leave  the  ground. 

Immediately  Poona  is  in  a  blaze  of  illumination  and  pyrotech- 
nic display.  Pockets  spring  up  in  every  direction,  set  pieces 
appear  suddenly  on  the  right  hand  and  the  left,  coloured  lights 
are  burned,  and  all  kinds  of  fireworks  splutter  and  bang,  while 
the  happy  Mahrattas  in  long  strings,  hand  in  hand,  walk  about 
incessantly,  and  forget  all  their  fancied  troubles.  "  They  have 
been  a  good  deal  excited,"  said  a  political  agent  who  chanced 
to  be  at  Poona,  "  about  the  Mulhar  Rao  affair  lately ;  but  these 
fireworks  will  overcome  all  that."     I  think  he  was  right. 


CHAPTEK  VII. 

GAMES   AND   SPORTS  AT   BARODA. 

The  Prince  was  well  received  at  Baroda.  The  scene  which 
presented  itself  at  the  railway  station  the  morning  he  arrived 
was  in  keeping  with  his  previous  receptions. 

The  city  of  Baroda  proper  lies  far  from  the  embodiment  of 
science  which  we  owe  to  George  Stephenson.  The  inhabitants 
are  as  singular  in  their  costume,  and  I  should  say  as  objection- 
able in  their  habits,  as  they  were  when  tea-kettles,  to  say 
nothing  of  steam-engines,  had  yet  to  be  invented.  And  as  the 
railway  has  not,  for  manifest  reasons,  come  to  them — that  is  to 
say,  to  their  very  doors — they  have  declined  to  come  in  their 
corporate  capacity  to  the  railway.  Individually  they  come  by 
thousands;  but  they  have  not  extended  their  buildings  nor 
enlarged  their  borders  so  as  to  embrace  the  line  and  its  belong- 
ings. Three  tradesmen,  more  enterprising  than  the  rest  of  their 
countrymen,  have  established  shops  at  which  stores  to  the  value 
of  about  eighteenpence  are  regularly  kept.  But,  beyond  this,  the 
unsoaped,  semi-nude  native  prefers  the  bazaar  to  the  open  countiy 
road,  and  sits  quite  contentedly  there,  far  from  steam-whistles 
or  the  noise  of  railway-trucks.  As  a  consequence,  there  is  a 
fine  open  .space  in  front  of  the  station,  fringed  with  pretty 
Eastern  trees,  amongst  which  figure  three  or  four  palms,  plenty 
of  banyan  and  plantain  trees,  and  a  goodly  number  of  large- 
leaved  and  heavy-foliaged  specimens  such  as  can  only  be  found 
in  a  climate  like  this. 

With  a  view  to  watching  somewhat  closely  the  behaviour  of 
the  people  on  the  occasion  of  his  Royal  Highness'  entry,  I 
started  for  Baroda  on  the  day  previous  to  the  Prince's  visit. 


GAMES  AND  SPORTS  AT  BA110DA.  £3 

Through  the  kindness  of  Sir  Madava  Rao,  the  distinguished 
Prime  Minister  of  Baroda,  a  resting-place  had  been  prepared  for 
me — no  small  boon  in  a  district  which  is  innocent  of  hostelries 
and  knows  nothing  of  inns.  By  some  mischance,  however,  I 
missed  the  carriage  that  was  sent  to  me,  and  as  a  result  made 
my  first  acquaintance  with  the  eccentric  vehicle  known  as  the 
Baroda  bullock-gharry  immediately  upon  my  arrival.  It  has 
always  been  my  practice  to  "  speak  well  of  the  bridge  that  car- 
ries me  over."  But  the  Baroda  bridge,  or,  rather,  Baroda 
bullock-carriage,  must  be  the  exception,  and  prove  the  rule.  I 
will  not  attempt  to  describe  that  doleful  ride ;  yet  it  was  in  the 
progress  of  this  experience  that  I  saw  first  the  preparations 
which  were  being  made  to  receive  the  Prince.  Thousands  of 
natives  were  hard  at  work  all  along  the  line  of  route  from  the 
railway  station  to  the  British  Residency,  also  outside  the  town. 
Triumphal  arches — notwithstanding  that  Mr.  Hill,  the  resident 
chief  engineer,  had  only  received  a  few  hours'  notice — were 
springing  up  as  rapidly  as  though  it  had  been  the  sole  business 
of  his  life  to  construct  ornamental  spans  of  leaves  and  bunting, 
instead  of  building  excellent  roads  and  bridges.  On  either  side 
of  the  road  were  miniature  arches  and  festoons  of  green  leaves. 
Flags,  too,  made  literally  on  the  spot — for  they  were  being  cut 
out  on  the  roadside  by  Mahratta  workmen — were  being  hung, 
and  places  arranged  for  Chinese  lanterns  and  the  little  lamps 
with  which  it  is  the  practice  to  illuminate  here.  It  must  be 
remembered,  too,  that  if  the  very  situation  of  Baroda,  which  is 
placed  in  a  lovely  grove  of  trees,  aided  in  the  work,  no  cunning 
contractor  with  tons  of  material  was  at  hand  to  command  the 
thousands  of  labourers  and  furnish  them  with  carefully  planned 
and  elaborately  prepared  devices.  On  the  contrary,  all  had  to 
be  done  in  a  day,  with  whatever  was  ready  to  hand ;  and  if  the 
Prince  congratulated  Mr.  Hill  on  arrival,  and  expressed  sur- 
prise, as  he  did,  it  was  no  more  than  the  merest  justice  to  a 
most  energetic  and  ingenious  man.     Sufiice  it  to  say  that,  when 


84  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

the  eventful  morning  arrived,  Baroda  was  fit  to  receive  a 
King. 

It  is  not  of  the  decorations  that  there  is  need  now  to  speak ; 
it  was  the  spectacle  which  Sir  Madava  Rao  had,  with  character- 
istic ability,  prepared  for  his  Royal  Highness.  "  I  will  show 
the  Prince,"  said  the  amiable  Premier,  "  a  sight  such  as  he  will 
not  see  anywhere  else  in  India,"  as  we  stood  on  the  railway- 
station  steps  and  looked  upon  the  space  in  front.  And  certainly 
the  picture  presented  was  perfect.  Drawn  in  a  long  line  exactly 
in  front  was  a  regiment  of  the  Guicowar's  infantry,  neatly  at- 
tired in  buff.  Behind  them,  in  uniforms  of  light  blue,  with 
light  blue  turbans  and  long,  shining,  pennon-supporting  lances, 
were  the  Guicowar's  cavalry.  All  round  were  natives  by  thou- 
sands, in  costumes  of  every  kind  and  colour.  In  the  centre  of 
the  square  were,  however,  the  chief  figures  of  the  scene,  for 
there  fifteen  magnificent  elephants,  splendidly  housed  and 
caparisoned,  stood  side  by  side.  Every  elephant  was  painted 
all  over  with  some  bright  pigment — light  yellow,  light  blue, 
light  red,  light  green.  On  the  forehead  and  down  the  front  of 
the  trunk  were  painted  devices  of  most  intricate  description, 
singularly  clever  and  curiously  effective.  I  have  said  that  they 
carried  their  housings  and  trappings.  The  howdah  on  the 
elephant  which  was  to  carry  the  Prince  was  of  fine  gold,  in 
value  worth  forty  thousand  sovereigns.  Cloth-of-gold  hung 
down  his  sides,  anklets  of  gold  were  round  bis  legs — even  his 
tail  was  ornamented ;  his  ears  were  brilliantly  painted,  and  his 
tusks  were  encircled  with  huge  rings  of  red-coloured  ivory.  As 
for  the  other  elephants,  they,  too,  had  valuable  seats  for  their 
riders,  railed  cars  of  silver  fixed  on  silver  cloth,  fastened  in 
their  places  with  silver  buckles. 

Presently  the  Guicowar  drove  up  in  a  pretty,  little  carriage, 
made  wholly  of  silver  and  gold — a  work  of  art,  indeed,  such  as 
can  hardly  be  surpassed — and  on  his  arrival  he  was  received 
with  the  English  National  Anthem  by  the  band,  with  "  present 


GAMES  AND  SPORTS  AT  BARODA.  85 

arms  "  by  the  soldiers,  and  a  vast  amount  of  bowing  from  the 
crowd.  His  retainers,  the  chiefs  and  sirdars  of  the  kingdom, 
in  number  nearly  a  hundred,  ranged  up  in  two  lines  a  little 
lower  down  the  road  than  the  place  where  the  elephants  stood. 
Suddenly  a  number  of  fog-signals,  which  had  been  placed  upon 
the  line  for  the  purpose  of  indicating  the  approach  of  the  Royal 
train,  were  fired,  whereupon  the  two  companies  of  the  83rd 
regiment  of  English  troops,  drawn  up  on  the  platform,  presented 
arms.  The  Resident  of  the  Station,  the  Assistant  Resident,  the 
English  officers,  and  the  officials  of  the  place,  stood  round  the 
Guicowar  and  Sir  Madava  Rao,  and  the  band  struck  up  "  God 
save  the  Queen."  As  the  engine  approached  the  Prince  was 
seen  standing  outside  the  saloon  carriage,  looking  on  the  plat- 
form with  evident  interest,  and,  as  soon  as  the  train  stopped, 
his  Royal  Highness  descended  and  shook  hands  warmly  first 
with  the  Guicowar  and  then  with  the  Premier. 

Sitting  down  on  a  couch,  the  Prince  conversed  for  some 
minutes  with  his  Highness,  who  afterwards  led  him  outside  the 
station,  where  the  elephant  with  the  golden  howdah  was  kneel- 
ing. Taking  the  Prince  of  Wales  by  the  right  hand,  the  little 
Guicowar  asked  him  to  ascend  the  ladder  to  the  howdah,  which, 
albeit  that  the  elephant  was  kneeling,  was  yet  six  or  seven  feet 
from  the  ground.  To  this  the  Prince  assented,  and,  being  fol- 
lowed by  the  Guicowar  and  Sir  Madava  Rao,  was  hoisted  into 
the  air,  and  so  sat  high  above  everybody,  on  the  right  of  the 
youthful  ruler  of  Baroda.  The  staff  of  the  Prince  followed, 
four  sitting  in  each  howdah,  till  all  were  in  their  places,  where- 
upon a  procession  was  formed  of  javelin  men,  banner-bearers  on 
horseback,  chieftains,  hussars,  irregular  cavalry,  Royal  Artillery, 
and  the  elephants,  the  whole  being  brought  up  in  the  rear  by 
the  Guicowar's  soldiery.  Slowly  moving  along,  the  Prince 
passed  by  the  gates  of  the  city  towards  the  cantonments,  where, 
under  Colonel  Thompson,  the  Brigadier  of  the  district,  and  a 
distinguished  officer,  the  excellent  native  9th  and  22nd  infantry 


S6  WITH  THE   PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

regiments  were  found  drawn  up.  Receiving  their  salute,  the 
Royal  party  made  for  the  Residency,  where  a  durbar  was  shortly 
afterwards  held,  at  which  the  Guicowar  and  the  Prince  sat  to- 
gether in  the  sight  of  the  principal  men  of  the  State. 

It  had  been  announced  that  in  the  afternoon  there  would  be 
an  elephant  fight  and  other  sports,  and  I  made  the  best  of  my 
way  to  the  arena  to  see  the  sports  of  which  I  had  heard.     This 
was  a  large,  oblong  space,  strongly  walled  in,  entered  through  a 
gateway,  across  which  three  thick  bars  of  wood  were  thrown. 
Inside  this  space  were  three  structures,  which  were  at  once 
noticeable  —  a  huge  grand  stand  of  four   storys ;    a  circular 
structure  of  brickwork,  about  five  feet  high,  with  a  tree  in  the 
centre,  and  two  flights  of  steps  cut  in  the  stone ;  and  a  circular 
walled  structure,  looped  with  holes  just  large  enough  to  allow 
of  the  ingress  of  a  man — particularly  a  flying,  terror-stricken, 
elephant-hunted  man — should  such  a  one  need  its  hospitable 
shelter.       Overhanging  the  walls  were  trees  rich  in  foliage, 
forming  a  splendid  background  from  whatever  side  you  scanned 
the  picture.     On  the  tops  of  the  walls  thousands  of  Mahrattas, 
in  all  kinds  of  costumes,  were  perched,  their  faces  full  of  glee, 
and  their  arms  full  of  children ;  on  hills,  which  overlooked  the 
arena  were  thousands  more  of  them ;  peering  in  at  the  various 
gates  between  the  bars  were  hundreds  again ;  and  inside  the 
arena,  about  one  hundred  athletic  men,  some  with  spears,  others 
with  flags,  and  the  rest  with  nothing  save  ropes  and  chains, 
were  standing  about  waiting  to  take  part  in  the  promised  fun. 
Outside  the  gates  were  cages  full  of  tigers,  rhinoceroses,  buf- 
faloes, and  rams.  Two  huge  elephants  were  fastened  to  the  walls 
inside,   about   twenty  painted  and  decorated  elephants  were 
ranged  in  a  line  opposite  the  grand  stand,  where  was  assembled 
a  brilliant  gathering  of  English  ladies  and  gentlemen — the  for- 
mer in  gaily  coloured  silks,  the  latter  mostly  in  uniform — wait- 
ing for  the  Prince.     They  had  not  long  to  wait,  for,  just  after 
we  entered,  a  blast  of  trumpets  announced  his  Royal  Highness' 


GAMES  AND  SPORTS  AT  BABODA.  87 

approach,  and  a  moment  later  showed  the  golden  carriage  of 
the  Guicowar  in  full  motion,  with  his  Highness  and  the  Prince 
of  Wales  inside. 

The  first  entertainment  on  the  list  was  a  wrestling  match 
between  half  a  dozen  couples  of  semi-nude  muscular  savages. 
There  was  a  bald  man,  who  was  evidently  a  very  old  stager; 
a  Nubian,  whose  chief  aim  was  to  hug  his  opponent  and  fall  on 
him,  a  tall  man,  who  every  now  and  then  lifted  his  rival  into 
the  air,  and  tried  to  throw  him  out  of  the  square  marked  out 
for  this  class  of  the  sports  ;  and  a  short,  stout  man,  who  enjoys 
the  reputation  of  being  the  best  wrestler  in  India,  and  who  is 
very  proud  of  the  title.  Two  particular  points  are  worthy  of 
notice — one  that  each  athlete  had  greased  his  body  so  com- 
pletely that  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  grasp  him  ;  the  other 
that  the  use  of  the  feet  in  wrestling  was  wholly  disregarded, 
and  that  the  French  hug  round  the  neck  was  the  style  of  com- 
petition, rather  than  the  Cumberland  mode  of  wrestling.  Pic- 
ture twelve  particularly  strong  men  attempting  to  throttle  and 
throw  each  other ;  now  struggling  till  their  eyes  nearly  start 
out  of  their  heads,  and  now  rolling  over  and  over  in  the  thick 
dust,  emerging  at  length  from  the  conflict  begrimed  and  be- 
smeared, and  only  vexed  to  find  that  they  must  go  away  and 
make  way  for  the  elephants.  Anything  like  remonstrance 
would,  however,  have  been  somewhat  out  of  place,  for  a  number 
of  men  were  hovering  round  the  captive  elephants  fastened  to 
the  wall,  the  tame  and  decorated  elephants  were  leaving  the 
ground,  and  all  kinds  of  preparations  were  being  made  for  a 
struggle. 

I  rather  suspect  that  these  elephants  were  sly,  old  fellows, 
who,  like  the  gladiators  in  olden  times,  did  not  hurt  each  other 
a  bit  more  than  was  necessary,  and  often  "  made  believe"  in  a 
sadly  deceptive  fashion.  These  had#clearly  been  in  the  arena 
before,  and  knew  just  what  was  expected  of  them.  First  they 
rushed  at  each  other,  and  with  their  blunted  tusks  pushed  and 


88  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

tugged  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  stopped.  At  this  juncture 
a  Mahratta  came  out  with  a  stick ;  whereupon  one  of  the  ele- 
phants rushed  at  him,  chased  him  into  one  of  the  recesses  in  the 
wall,  and  pulled  a  lot  of  the  brickwork  down.  This  diversion, 
however,  lasted  but  a  minute.  Entwining  their  trunks  with 
quite  as  much  care  as  the  wrestlers  who  had  preceded  them  in 
the  ring  had  joined  hands,  and  adjusting  their  tusks  in  such  a 
position  as  would  give  the  greatest  leverage,  the  elephants  once 
more  began  the  tug  of  war.  And  a  terrible  tug  it  was.  Two 
huge  beasts,  of  almost  fabulous  size,  straining,  pushing,  groan- 
ing, strove  for  the  mastery.  The  younger  of  the  two  elephants 
was  the  better  formed  and  the  more  courageous,  and  very  soon 
he  had  worsted  his  opponent  and  driven  him  against  the  wall. 
No  sooner  had  the  larger  but  weaker  elephant  run  to  the  wall 
for  shelter  than  the  conqueror  lowered  his  head,  gave  a  roar  of 
defiance,  and  charged  with  terrific  force.  The  tusk  struck  the 
conquered  one  with  a  fearful  thud,  the  wall  and  the  miserable 
elephant's  head  had  a  sharp  collision,  and  a  moment  later  the 
bars  of  the  gateway  close  by  were  on  the  point  of  being  forced, 
when  two  men  ran  out  with  rocket  tubes,  discharged  the  con- 
tents at  the  elephants,  and  separated  them  in  a  moment.  Away 
ran  the  victor  across  the  arena,  followed  by  the  vanquished  one, 
and  for  an  instant  there  was  quiet.  Immediately  after  another 
encounter  took  place,  and  was  going  on  merrily,  when  ham- 
pering irons  were  slipped  round  the  hind  legs  of  the  infuriated 
animals  by  the  Mahrattas  employed  for  the  purpose,  stout  ropes 
attached  thereto,  more  rockets  discharged,  and  eventually  the 
animals  were  led  into  captivity. 

Meanwhile  a  very  wily  old  elephant  was  being  prepared  for 
the  arena.  His  business  was  to  attempt  to  catch  a  horseman, 
who,  mounted  on  a  white  Arab  and  armed  with  a  spear,  was 
already  within  the  precincts  of  the  arena.  For  a  moment  or  so 
the  huge  beast  walked  slowly  about,  as  though  he  were  in  his 
native  woods  taking  a  gentle  stroll  after  dinner,  and  not  within 


GAMES  AND  SPOBTS  AT  BARODA.  89 

a  hundred  miles  of  horsemen  or  footmen  either.  But,  just  when 
he  looked  most  unconcerned  and  careless,  he  gave  a  sudden 
rush,  got  his  trunk  in  the  saddle  of  the  rider,  and  only  missed 
by  an  inch  or  two  unhorsing  the  Mahratta  and  making  him  pay 
for  his  temerity.  Had  that  Arab  steed  stumbled,  or  had  the 
man  lost  nerve,  the  elephant  would  have  ended  the  contest  in  a 
very  summary  manner. 

The  next  contest  on  the  list  was  between  two  huge  rhinoceroses, 
and,  as  the  beasts  were  led  in,  all  necks  were  craned  forward  and 
all  eyes  strained  to  look  at  them.  One  had  a  long,  sharp  horn, 
and  was  a  fearful  animal  to  behold ;  the  other,  thickly  set,  had 
a  blunter  horn,  but,  if  possible,  a  more  powerful  back.  So 
soon  as  they  were  loosed,  they  rushed  at  each  other  with  tre- 
mendous determination.  For  a  time  they  struggled  hard  to 
push  their  respective  prows  into  each  other's  necks,  but  to  no 
purpose.  In  vain  two  men  on  each  side  patted  their  horny 
sides  and  invited  them  with  loud  cries  to  continue  the  battle ; 
their  encouragement  was  useless.  Still  one  was  a  little  afraid 
of  the  other,  for  suddenly  the  owner  of  the  blunted  horn  turned 
round,  and,  with  snorts  like  the  magnified  grunts  of  a  frightened 
pig,  rushed  from  the  struggle.  Onlookers  held  their  breath,  for 
the  keepers  were  not  far  from  being  run  over,  and  consequently 
crushed.  But,  as  luck  would  have  it,  they  ran  away,  and  "  live 
to  fight  another  day."  More  than  this,  men  procured  buckets 
of  water,  and  emptied  them  over  the  backs  of  the  gladiators, 
stroked  and  patted  them,  prodded  them  with  long  spears,  and 
in  other  ways  urged  them  to  deeds  of  valour.  As  soon  as  the 
animals  came  close  together  again  and  felt  each  other's  weapons 
of  war,  they  simultaneously  snorted  and  scampered  off,  and 
positively  refused  to  fight.  It  was  clearly  a  drawn  battle,  and 
Sir  Madava  Rao  ordered  the  creatures  to  be  led  away  forthwith. 

Then  came  the  turn  of  the  buffaloes;  two  of  them  were 
ushered  into  the  arena — one  a  young,  light-coloured  animal, 
and  one  a  dark  beast.     A  perfect  crowd  of  rapscallions  accom- 

6 


90  WITH   THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

panied  them  to  the  fight,  and,  with  spears,  ropes,  sticks,  and 
fists,  encouraged  them  very  considerably.  The  buffaloes,  how- 
ever, needed  very  little  incentive.  Rushing  at  each  other  at  a 
tremendous  pace,  they  struggled  violently  for  a  moment ;  and 
the  young  one  was  winning  fast,  when  one  of  his  horns  broke 
off  short,  the  blood  spurted  out,  and  it  was  forced  to  retreat. 
Away  rushed  the  poor  brute,  chased  by  its  enemy.  Fortunately 
the  gate  bars  were  sufficiently  wide  open  to  admit  of  escape,  and 
the  vanquished,  bleeding  bull  flew  through,  scattering  the  spec- 
tators in  every  direction,  and  mingling  the  turbans  in  almost 
inextricable  confusion.  Another  couple  of  buffaloes  followed 
and  fought,  one  of  them  being  thrown  by  the  other,  which  at 
once  attempted  to  rip  it  open.  Happily,  its  horns  were  blunt, 
and  before  it  could  do  more  than  inflict  a  deep  flesh-wound,  the 
beasts  were  separated,  and  another  couple  introduced. 

This  third  conflict  was  not,  however,  a  severe  one,  and  it  was 
scarcely  over  before  several  couples  of  rams  were  introduced  to 
the  ring.  Rams  with  peculiarly  hard  heads  and  strong  horns 
have  for  long  years  been  the  especial  pride  of  Raroda  down  to 
the  uproarious  days  of  Mulhar  Rao,  the  man  now  living  quietly 
at  Madras.  Some  of  the  strongest  pates  ever  discovered  were 
brought  to  the  show,  for  the  delight  of  his  ladies  and  subjects. 
Then  the  rams  were  allowed  to  fight  till  they  killed  each  other, 
the  sight  of  blood  being  by  no  means  distasteful  to  the  gentle- 
man who  was  accused  of  having  attempted  to  kill  Col.  Phayre. 
But  more  human  days  have  dawned,  and  in  the  presence  of 
the  Prince,  at  least,  no  very  desperate  encounter  was  allowed. 
The  plan  of  action  was  simply  this  :  Two  animals  were  brought 
within  about  ten  feet  of  each  other  and  then  let  slip :  in- 
stantly with  tremendous  force  they  rushed  at  each  other,  and 
their  skulls  met  with  a  tremendous  crash.  If  by  this  first 
thud  either  ram  was  knocked  down,  it  was  at  once  declared 
beaten  and  led  away.  Sometimes,  however,  victory  was  not  so 
easily  decided,  and  it  was  not  till  after  a  dozen  sharp  blows  at 


GAMES  AND  SPORTS  AT  BARODA.  91 

the  least  that  one  of  the  rams  gave  in ;  while  in  one  case  a 
sleepy  fellow,  who  clearly  saw  no ,  fun  in  the  whole  proceeding, 
allowed  himself  to  be  knocked  over  without  making  the 
slightest  resistance.  Another,  as  though  perfectly  aware  of 
the  rules  of  the  game,  looked  round  for  somebody  to  take  him 
away. 

In  this  way  several  battles  were  decided,  and  then  a  long 
string  of  men,  in  all  kinds  of  singular  costumes,  entered — eight 
leading  a  huge  tiger,  which  was  so  encumbered  with  chains  as 
to  be  helpless ;  one  riding  in  a  little  carriage  drawn  by  two  of 
the  black  bucks  for  which  Baroda  was  so  celebrated ;  another 
leading  two  white  does  of  surpassing  beauty ;  a  third  with  a 
fcame  sloth ;  and  the  rest,  some  twenty  or  thirty  in  all,  carry- 
ing birds'  cages  all  filled  with  feathered  curiosities  of  the  rarest 
descriptions.  This  spectacle  concluded  the  entertainment.  In 
a  few  minutes  the  Prince  and  suite  drove  away,  highly  delighted, 
and  the  huge  crowd  dispersed. 

It  was  announced  that  the  Prince  would  go  out  hunting 
with  the  cheetahs  next  morning,  and  that  a  vast  quantity 
of  deer  had  been  beaten  up  for  the  sport,  and  that  those 
who  desired  to  see  the  sport  must  be  astir  before  even 
the  lark  would  dream  of  rising.  The  stars  were,  conse- 
quently, the  only  light  which  such  huntsmen  as  did  not  quite 
belong  to  the  Prince's  party  had  as  they  drove  through  the 
sleeping  city  of  Baroda,  its  deserted  bazaars  and  empty  streets, 
and  along  the  road  which  leads  to  a  country  palace  of  the 
Guicowar,  boasting  the  euphonious  name  of  Muckinpoora.  If  the 
huntsmen  were  thus  early,  the  cheetahs  and  their  keepers  were 
even  earlier,  for  when  the  rendezvous  was  reached,  some  two 
miles  on  the  other  side  of  the  palace,  away  from  the  city,  they 
were  found ;  the  cheetahs,  five  in  number,  sitting  hood-winked 
and  tied  on  the  top  of  flat,  open  carts,  while  their  keepers  stood 
around  them  and  stroked  them.  Close  by  were  a  number  of  bul- 
lock carts,  each  drawn  by  two  animals,  each  intended  to  hold 


92  WITH  TEE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

three  people,  albeit  tliat  they  had  no  seats  whatever,  but  simply  a 
cushion  on  which  we  were  expected  to  sit  cross-legged.  The 
Prince  had  a  bullock  cart  of  silver  and  gold,  with  seats  in  it, 
and  even  a  spring,  which,  considering  everything,  was  an  im- 
mense concession  for  the  Barodians  to  make,  even  to  royalty. 
All  was  thus  ready  very  early;  but,  unfortunately,  the  Prince 
was  not  very  punctual,  and  the  sun  had  risen  some  height  in 
the  heavens — a  condition  almost  fatal  to  the  skill  of  the 
cheetah — when  he  arrived.  Once  there,  a  start  was  quickly 
made ;  and  then,  behold  the  following  procession  :  A  pilot  cart 
with  three  enthusiastic  sportsmen  in  it,  kneeling ;  the  Prince's 
wagon,  containing  his  Royal  Highness  and  the  Duke  of  Suther- 
land, each  in  Indian  hunting  costume,  namely,  the  huge  sun 
hat,  tweed  coat,  and  white  trousers,  each  person  carrying  a 
rifle  and  a  hunting  knife ;  five  carts  with  cheetahs,  each  animal 
attended  by  three  keepers ;  and  about  twenty  small  wagons, 
their  occupants  in  almost  every  conceivable  position  compatible 
with  the  arrangement  of  three  stout  men  on  a  square  yard  of 
cushion  in  a  springless  vehicle  passing  over  rough  ground. 

Presently,  as  we  came  into  some  very  English-like  scenery, 
we  espied  in  a  wide  field,  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant, 
several  hundred  deer  quietly  feeding.  Now  was  our  time,  and 
the  hearts  of  all  beat  high.  As  quietly  as  might  be,  we  ap- 
proached the  herd,  and  soon  came  within  a  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  of  them,  when  a  cheetah  was  unhooded  and  let  slip. 
Stealthily  creeping  along  through  the  grass,  this  terrible  beast 
bounded  into  the  very  centre  of  the  deer,  and  for  a  moment  it 
seemed  as  though  he  must  certainly  capture  one  of  the  terror- 
stricken,  beautiful  creatures,  with  such  tremendous  springs  did 
he  urge  the  chase.  But  this  time  the  deer  were  too /fleet,  and 
bounded  along  with  such  wonderful  rapidity  that,  after  a  chase 
of  two  hundred  yards,  the  savage  beast  sat  down  and  waited 
for  the  keepers  to  come  up  and  hoodwink  him  again.  Almost 
immediately  afterwards  another  herd  was  descried  in  an  op 


GAMES  AND  SPORTS  AT  B  A  ROD  A.  93 

posite  direction,  and  it  was  then  resolved  that  we  should  be 
divided  into  two  parties,  the  one  led  by  the  Prince  bearing 
away  to  the  left  in  chase  of  the  herd  that  had  just  escaped,  and 
taking  three  cheetahs  ;  the  other,  under  the  guidance  of  Lord 
Aylesford  and  Lord  Charles  Beresford,  going  to  the  right. 

That  this  arrangement  was  a  good  one  was  proved  very 
shortly.  A  mile  had  scarcely  been  traversed  by  either  party, 
when  each  came  within  easy  reach  of  herds.  Of  the  two,  the 
Prince's  party  was  just  then  the  more  fortunate,  for  in  the  very 
centre  of  the  deer  they  chased  were  two  large  bucks  with  re- 
markably fine  horns,  fighting  with  great  vigour.  To  let  the 
cheetah  go  at  these  two  rivals  was  the  work  of  an  instant ;  to 
catch  the  largest  one  by  the  neck  and  drag  him  to  the  ground 
after  a  short  struggle  was  an  act  which  involved  no  great  ex- 
penditure of  time.  On  the  other  side  a  beautiful  doe  had  been 
chased  by  a  cheetah,  caught  by  the  neck,  and  after  a  sharp 
struggle  been  brought  to  the  ground.  The  sport  had  now  begun 
in  earnest,  and  for  the  next  two  hours  we  were  taken  over  ruts 
as  deep  as  ordinary  ditches,  over  hillocks  and  through  hedges, 
sometimes  almost  shaken  out,  and  in  the  case  of  one  cart  turned 
out  with  a  veritable  capsize,  letting  the  cheetahs  slip  frequently, 
sometimes  getting  game  and  sometimes  not.  To  those  who 
had  never  before  seen  the  action  of  these  savage  animals  the 
sight  was  undoubtedly  full  of  interest ;  but,  from  an  economical 
point  of  view,  I  should  say  that  cheetah  hunting  is  not  a  suc- 
cess. In  two  hours  and  a  half  five  cheetahs  killed  four  bucks 
and  four  does.  Two  rifles  in  experienced  hands  would  have 
killed  forty  in  a  like  time.  So,  indeed,  the  Prince  appeared  to 
think,  for  he  presently  left  the  cheetahs  altogether,  and  went 
shooting  on  his  own  account,  and  succeeded  in  getting  a  fine 
pair  of  deer,  the  buck  having  horns  of  very  satisfactory  size. 
After  this  there  was  breakfast  at  Muckinpoora,  and  at  night 
the  Prince  dined  at  the  mess  of  the  22nd  Regiment,  com- 
manded by  the  gallant  and  amiable  Colonel  Nuttall. 


94  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

There  were  many  interesting  things  to  be  noted  about  Bar- 
oda.  The  palace  in  which  Mulhar  Rao  perpetrated  untold 
wickedness ;  the  narrow  streets,  with  open  sewers  running  on 
both  sides,  and  open  troughs  of  bad  drinking  water — made 
still  worse  by  crowds  of  naked  children  who  paddled  therein, 
and  mixed  mud  paste  with  the  liquid  intended  as  the  drink 
of  their  excellent  parents — not  a  foot  from  the  sewers ;  the 
strangely  built  mud  houses,  boasting  no  doors,  and  very  fre- 
quently no  roof  either ;  the  hideous  paintings  on  the  outsides 
of  the  temples,  the  shrines  in  the  streets,  the  gates,  and  the 
celebrated  clock-tower,  built  in  the  form  of  a  Chinese  joss- 
house,  and  painted  light  blue,  were  all  worthy  of  a  prolonged 
inspection. 

It  was  worth  the  journey  to  Baroda  to  see  the  holy  men  who 
lived  there.  For  Baroda,  you  must  know,  is  a  peculiarly  reli- 
gious place,  and  possesses  more  deformities  and  burlesques  on 
human  nature,  more  unwashed  fakirs,  and  more  objectionable 
devotees,  than  any  other  city  of  its  size.  It  was  thsre  that, 
not  long  since,  a  very  pious  person  roasted  the  calf  of  his  leg, 
in  the  presence  of  a  number  of  admiring  Hindoos.  On  the  road 
leading  to  the  Motee  Bagh  I  had  pointed  out  to  me  another 
religious  gentleman  who,  in  addition  to  wearing  for  many  years 
a  thick  coating  of  mud,  carefully  renewed  every  morning,  and 
only  relieved  in  its  monotony  by  two  or  three  streaks  of  brick- 
red  paint  on  the  forehead,  had  lately  cut  off  a  couple  of  his  tpes 
and  a  finger  or  two,  in  honour  of  a  god  that  looked  exactly  like 
the  representation  of  a  frantic  monkey  with  two  tails  and  four 
arms.  But  there  was  no  necessity  for  seeking  these  superla- 
tively good  people.  They  turned  up  in  every  direction  and 
every  moment.  They  were  as  numerous  as  the  dogs  in  the 
street,  and  that  is  saying  a  great  deal,  when  it  is  remembered 
that  Baroda  has  more  and  uglier  specimens  of  the  canine  breed 
than  even  Constantinople.  The  sanctified  tribe  marched  along, 
with  their  shrivelled  arms,  earless  heads,  mud-begrimed  faces, 


GAMES  AND  SPOETS  AT   BARODA.  95 

and  long,  matted  hair ;  they  appeared  at  the  corners  of  the 
streets  and  in  front  of  the  shrines,  and  just  when  you  were  hop- 
ing that  the  last  of  them  had  gone,  you  found  them  at  your 
elbow.  Not  that  they  wished  to  beg ;  on  the  contrary,  I  did 
not  in  any  instance  see  a  fakir  condescend  to  do  anything  but 
scowl.  Blind  men  might  ask  for  alms — and  there  were  many 
blind  people  in  Baroda ;  beggars  might  clamour  for  money  at 
the  gates  of  the  arena ;  but  these  holy'  men  simply  regarded  us, 
from  the  Prince  downwards,  with  profound  contempt ;  for,  in 
addition  to  the  luxury  of  being  allowed  to  wear  as  little  cloth- 
ing as  they  pleased  and  as  much  mud  as  they  liked,  they  had 
many  of  them  the  assured  right,  in  consideration  of  their  suffer- 
ings and  virtues,  to  have  at  any  moment  and  forever,  twenty 
times  as  much  enjoyment  as  anybody  else— the  gods  willed  it, 
and  the  priests  declared  it.  Ask  for  alms  1  If,  in  admiration 
of  their  inherent  and  singular  goodness,  you  felt  constrained  to 
press  half  a  rupee  upon  their  acceptance,  they  would  doubtless 
take  it,  for  they  live  upon  such  tokens  of  esteem  and  affection. 
But  they  would  certainly  not  implore  a  gift,  and  if  it  were 
offered,  would  return  no  thanks.  I  doubt  whether  a  more  im- 
pudent set  of  scoundrels  exists  on  the  face  of  the  globe.  They 
even  escape  the  policeman's  whip,  an  instrument  which  is  ap- 
plied pretty  unsparingly  to  the  rest  of  the  populace,  and  which 
works  wonders  in  a  crowded  street,  when  authority  and  power 
want  to  pass  quiokly. 

But  it  was  not  of  the  fakirs,  nor  the  streets,  that  I  just  now 
intended  to  write.  My  intent  was  to  speak  more  fully  of  the 
palaces  of  Baroda  and  their  occupants — not  the  old  building  in 
which  Luxmabae's  baby  was  enthroned  and  dethroned,  all  in 
the  space  of  ten  minutes,  the  residence  of  the  last  Guicowar,  and 
his  agreeable  circle  of  male  and  female  acquaintances  ;  but  the 
two  suburban  palaces  of  Motee  Bagh  and  Mukinpoora,  and  Sir 
Madava  Rao,  the  Prime  Minister  of  Baroda. 

It  was  at  the  first  named  mansion  that  I  called  onjny  arrival 


96  WITH  THE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA, 

in  the  State.  A  courteous  note  from  the  Premier  demanded 
personal  answer,  and  it  was  with  no  reluctance  I  faced  even  the 
mid-day  sun.  It  so  chanced  that  the  moment  was  an  exception- 
ally favourable  one.  The  place  was  en  fete  for  the  Prince's 
reception ;  his  Royal  Highness  was  expected  to  drive  thither 
from  the  Residency  very  shortly,  and  not  only  the  hall  of  state, 
but  all  the  apartments  were  prepared.  I  have  already  spoken 
of  the  golden  howdah,  the  golden  carriage,  and  the  golden 
bullock-gharry  of  Baroda.  You  have  heard  of  the  diamond 
aigrette  which  adorns  the  Guico war's  turban,  and  the  diamond 
necklace  which  encircles  his  neck.  Be  prepared,  then,  for 
plenty  of  magnificence  on  entering  Motee  Bagh.  Yet  look  at 
the  same  time  for  the  tawdry  and  tinsel.  You  will  not  be  dis- 
appointed in  either.  India  everywhere  presents  the  same 
spectacle,  and  Motee  Bagh  is  no  exception  to  the  rule. 

As  you  pass  through  the  streets  an  unclad  imp  is  playing  in 
the  dust.  You  look  closely  at  the  unkempt  hair,  and  behold  a 
cap  that  is  worth  half  a  sovereign  at  the  very  least.  The  coolie 
who  brings  or  carries  messages  two  miles  for  sixpence,  probably 
wears  a  rich,  purple  silk  jacket,  fit  for  a  prince.  That  and  alj 
excessively  dirty  rag  complete  his  clothing.  You  enter  the 
house  of  a  native,  and  find  on  the  rough,  earthen  floor  a  carpet 
of  surpassing  beauty.  Wares  of  great  value  are  exposed  for 
sale  in  shops  compared  with  which  a  barn  is  a  mansion ;  and  if 
you  want  to  find  a  palace,  your  quickest  and  best  plan  is  to  pro- 
ceed in  the  direction  where  hovels  are  most  numerous  and 
streets  are  narrowest.  So  at  Motee  Bagh.  The  troops  drawn 
up  in  the  garden  are  well  dressed  and  well  armed,  yet  the 
sentry  in  the  corridor  is  in  rags  and  tatters,  and  carries  an  old 
flint  fowling-piece  in  his  left  hand.  The  fountains,  too,  are  of 
white  marble,  very  beautiful  basins,  altogether  admirable,  till 
you  see  that  the  jets  are  crooked,  and  will  not  throw  more  than 
a  cupful  of  water  a  foot  high. 

On  your  first  entry  into  the  palace  itself  you  find  in  almost 


GAMES  AND  SPORTS  AT  BARODA.  97 

every  room  chandeliers  enough  to  stock  a  warehouse.  At 
Muckinpoora  there  were  in  one  verandah  alone,  70ft.  long  by  24 
wide,  eighteen  large  chandeliers  with  thirty-two  lights  apiece, 
seventy-two  bouquets  of  light  with  three  jets  to  each,  besides 
other  receptacles  for  lamps  and  candles.  Here  the  lighting 
arrangements  have  been  made  in  the  same  proportions. 
You  would  think  you  were  in  a  shop  of  chandeliers  and 
looking  glasses,  and  that  the  dark  gentleman  who  comes  up 
the  room  to  meet  you  intended  to  inveigle  you  into  buying  one 
at  the  very  least.  But  he  has  no  such  intention.  I  do  not 
suppose  he  would  part  with  a  single  burner  on  any  con- 
sideration. There  would  be  a  vacant  space  in  the  ceiling  if  he 
did,  and  no  Hindoo  with  any.  pretence  to  taste  could  tolerate 
that.  He  would  probably  be  happier  than  he  now  is,  and  would 
possibly  smile  still  more,  if  he  knew  how  to  hang  a  few  more 
chandeliers  up  in  the  saloon  where  the  Prince  will  be  presently 
received,  and  into  which  we  have  just  entered.  Facing  the 
door,  and  with  its  back  turned  to  a  large  window  from  whieh  a 
magnificent  view  of  the  surrounding  country  can  be  obtained,  is 
a  sofa  of  solid  silver — legs,  arms,  back,  all  pure  silver ;  and  on 
each  side  of  this  a  silver  chair.  You  do  not  look  at  the  other 
chairs  in  the  room,  as  these  wholly  engross  your  attention ;  and 
thus  it  is  that,  without  in  the  least  intending  to  be  rude,  you 
involuntarily  notice  that  the  seats  of  these  splendid  chairs  and 
couch  are  very  shabby.  The  same  story  over  again.  You  turn 
round,  look  at  the  pictures  on  the  wall,  and  find  that,  with  the 
exception  of  their  frames,  which  are  very  thick  and  costly,  they 
are  not  worth  a  pound,  even  to  a  German  printseller.  Portraits 
of  celebrated  chiefs,  and  pictures  of  the  Madonna  and  child, 
three  prints  of  "  a  lady,"  and  German-produced  "  likenesses  "  of 
the  English  Royal  family  complete  the  collection.  Close  by,  in 
a  cabinet  carefully  locked  and  guarded,  were  a  tin  engine  and 
two  little  trucks,  such  as  you  may  purchase  in  the  Lowther 
Arcade,  and  in  an  ante-room,  on  a  handsome  marble  table  and 


98  WITH  THE  FRINGE   IN  INDIA. 

a  silver  stand,  was  a  toy  donkey  which  wagged  its  head  when 
touched,  and  which,  in  any  London  repository,  is  valued  at 
exactly  ninepence. 

Still  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  the  man  whom  we  had 
come  to  see  was  in  any  way  like  the  palace  in  which  we  found 
him.  Nothing  but  the  severest  simplicity  was  noticeable  about 
him.  Excepting  only  the  huge  medal  which  the  Prince  gives  to 
every  native  of  distinction,  and  which  is  about  as  ugly  and  un- 
meaning a  decoration  as  it  is  possible  to  conceive,  Sir  Madava 
Rao  wore  no  ornament  of  any  kind.  Like  Sir  Salar  Jung,  the 
great  Mahommedan  Minister,  he  dresses  in  plain  black  or  white. 
On  this  particular  occasion  he  wore  white  garments.  At  the  first 
glance  I  was  greatly  impressed  by  this  celebrated  Hindoo.  His 
English  was  perfect,  lacking  anything  like  a  foreign  accent. 
His  manner  was  that  of  a  man  who  had  seen  the  world  rather 
than  of  one  who  had  never  left  India.  And  when  he  sat  down 
and  began  to  talk,  his  conversation  was  in  harmony  with  all 
that  has  been  said  of  him.  The  uppermost  thought  in  his  mind 
appeared  to  be  the  possibility  of  war  and  the  consequent  speedy 
return  of  the  Prince,  and  he  proceeded  at  once  to  discuss  the 
situation.  The  position  of  England,  the  relative  strength  of  the 
great  Powers,  the  aims  and  ambitions  of  Russia — all  seemed  to 
be  familiar  to  him,  and  for  some  minutes  he  chatted  away  with 
all  the  easy  flow  of  thought  of  a  European  statesman.  From 
what  I  have  since  heard,  Sir  Madava  Rao's  theories  about  good 
government  are  being  carried  into  effect  in  Baroda ;  and  there 
is,  therefore  reason  to  believe  that  before  long  the  city  will  lose 
its  open  sewers,  and  possibly  some  of  its  holy  men,  and  become 
more  like  a  fit  residence  for  a  civilized  prince. 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

THE   VOYAGE   TO  CEYLON. 

As  is  well  known,  a  painful  uncertainty  as  to  the  route  likely 
to  be  followed  attended  the  first  part  of  the  Prince's  trip  in 
India.  For  nearly  a  fortnight  not  one  of  the  Royal  suite,  save 
only  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  had  any  idea  of  what  their  future  move- 
ments would  be.  Would  the  Prince  go  to  Mysore  ?  No  one 
knew.  Would  he  reach  Madras  1  No  one  could  tell.  Would 
he  go  to  the  North- West?  Perhaps.  Would  he  go  home? 
Possibly.  There  were  rumours  of  cholera  in  the  south,  and 
fears  of  war  at  home ;  and  these,  coupled  with  the  intense  love 
of  Sir  Bartle  Frere  for  mystery,  were  sufficient  for  all  parties. 
So  it  resulted  in  the  Prince  going  off  to  Baroda,  after  twenty- 
four  hours'  notice,  and  next  setting  sail  in  an  equally  hurried 
and  secret  fashion  for  Southern  India,  without  anybody  know- 
ing where  he  was  going,  except  one  or  two  favoured  ones. 

In  this  way  we  all  set  sail,  and  were  at  sea  fully  a  day  before 
we  were  told  where  we  were  going  to;  and  when  the  intelligence 
that  possibly  we  should  touch  at  Trivanderam  was  at  length 
imparted  to  us,  the  majority  of  us  were  about  as  wise  as  ever ; 
for,  although  in  guide-books  and  gazetteers,  Trivanderam  was 
stated  to  be  the  capital  of  Travancore,  all  that  we  could  learn 
besides  was  that  it  possessed  no  harbour,  that  ships  had  to 
anchor  in  an  open  roadstead,  and  that  the  beach  boasted  a 
surf  such  as  European  boats  would  never  resist  for  a  moment 
— with  whieh  pleasant  and  comfortable  knowledge  we  beguiled 
the  time  while  the  voyage  lasted.  It  now  appears  that  had  we 
been  learned  in  astronomical  lore  we  should  have  known  that  at 
Trivanderam  there  was  erected,  forty  years  ago,  an  observatory 


)$/. 6^aA^oa^/cl^ 


100  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

of  no  mean  importance,  with  transit  clocks  and  instruments, 
telescopes,  refractors,  and  reflectors,  and  that  it  had  since  then 
been  allowed  to  fall  into  disuse  and  dilapidation.  But  we  were 
not  astronomically  inclined,  and,  with  the  exception  of  now  and 
then  straining  our  eyes  in  search  of  the  Southern  Cross,  which, 
after  all,  never  appeared,  cared  no  more  for  observatories  and 
telescopes  than  the  present  Rajah  of  Travancore  does.  Beyond 
this,  too,  it  seems  that  had  we  been  well  instructed  in  heraldry, 
and  knowing  in  things  pertaining  to  ceremonies  and  chapters, 
we  should  have  been  aware  that  the  .Rajah  who  built  the  obser- 
vatory was  the  same  sensible  and  liberal-minded  potentate  who, 
in  1851,  presented  to  the  Queen  the  ivory  chair  in  which  she 
would  sit  were  she  to  hold  a  Chapter  of  the  Garter  at  Windsor. 
This  knowledge,  however,  came  too  late^  all  that  could  be 
gathered  was  that  game  of  all  kinds  abounded  in  the  Rajah's 
territory ;  that  the  Prince  wanted  a  little  shooting,  and  that  it 
was  to  be  got  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Trivanderam. 

It  was  early  on  a  Saturday  morning  when,  by  nautical  caleu- 
ation,  an  inspection  of  the  shore,  and  consideration  of  the 
charts,  we  were  judged  to  be  opposite  the  long-looked  for  place. 
Now,  naval  men  are  far  from  averse  to  going  on  shore.  Their 
ship  is  undoubtedly  their  home ;  they  take  great  pride  in  her, 
from  masthead  to  keelson ;  but  give  a  jungle-full  of  tigers,  and 
a  plain  full  of  bison,  the  prospect  of  a  good  day's  sport,  and  a 
good  dinner,  and  the  most  ardent  sailor  will  begin  to  burnish 
his  express  rifle,  fill  up  the  cartridge-case,  and  prepare  to  land 
Gradually  Trivanderam  was  approached,  and  then  was  seen  the 
beauty  of  this  southern  part  of  India.  Our  glasses  made  out 
that  the  inhabitants  of  this  favoured  land  were  actually  enjoy- 
ing a  shower  of  rain.  What  would  we  not  have  given  for  a 
shower  just  then,  with  the  thermometer  in  the  shade  at  94  deg., 
and  no  breeze1?  Pleasant,  doubtless,  is  the  bright  Indian  sun, 
pleasant  the  clear,  blue  sky  and  the  grand  expanse  of  purple- 
coloured  sea ;  pleasant  also  an  escape  from  the  November  fogs  of 


THE   VOYAGE  TO  CM3f/J±^  1Q1 

London,  the  chilly,  wintry  blasts,  and  the  all-pervading  mud; 
but,  oh,  for  one  hour  of  pelting,  soaking  rain  !  I  don't  believe 
a  man  would  have  raised  an  umbrella.  To  be  drenched  to  the 
skin  would  have  been  a  positive  luxury.  However,  we  did  not 
land  at  Trivanderam,  and  we  consequently  got  none  of  the  rain. 
How  provokingly  near  we  came  to  the  land !  Cables  were 
ready,  the  town  could  be  distinctly  made  out,  the  observatory 
with  its  sightless  old  telescope  and  the  residence  of  a  Rajah, 
long  groves  of  palm-trees,  little  fishing  boats,  and,  at  the  back 
of  all,  towering  mountains,  round  the  heads  of  which  clouds 
whirled  madly,  as  though  the  wind,  rushing  through  the  crevices 
in  the  rock,  was  throwing  them  at  each  other  for  the  sheer  fun 
of  the  thing.  There  was  clearly  a  pleasant  breeze  ashore,  what- 
ever we  lacked  at  sea.  Still,  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  the 
water  was  still.  We  could  see  the  surf  beating  madly  on  the 
strand,  and  our  ships  rolled  about  on  the  swell,  till  we  had  to 
hold  on  by  both  hands  to  avoid  being  capsized.  It  was  a  warn- 
ing what  to  expect  if  we  cast  anchor,  and  apparently  the 
Admiral  took  it,  for,  with  a  good  deal  of  sail  on,  to  catch  what 
little  wind  there  might  be,  we  steamed  away  south,  and  pre- 
sently left  Trivanderam  behind  us. 

On  we  went,  hugging  the  shore  and  marvelling  at  its  beauty. 
Rich,  tropical  vegetation  covered  the  plain  right  down  to  the 
seashore.  Palm,  plantain,  mango,  and  banian  crowded  together 
in  one  vast  jungle.  Nor  was  this  splendid  foliage  confined  to 
the  plain.  Far  up  the  sides  of  the  towering  mountains,  it 
formed  a  rich,  green  covering,  under  which  game  of  all  kinds 
might  repose,  and  the  natives  0/  the  place  be  happy.  If  the 
peaks  of  the  hills  were  bare  rocks,  showing  terrible  precipices, 
the  lower  portions  of  the  eminences  were,  at  any  rate,  covered 
by  a  grateful  shade.  And  every  now  and  then  some  pretty,  little 
village  or  lonely  Portuguese  church  would  peep  out  from  the 
trees,  or  a  little  fleet  of  fishing  boats  would  come  from  the 
shore.     Then  we  would  come  in  view  of  a  red  coral  reef,  or 


10,2  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

some  well-marked  place  on  the  chart,  such  as  Moottam  Point, 
with  its  sandy  face  and  bleak,  bare  top,  till  at  length  we  were 
off  Cape  Comorin,  the  Land's-end  of  India,  and  by  the  declining 
light  of  the  fast  disappearing  sun,  gazed  with  awe  upon  the 
huge,  white  rock  and  the  far-stretching  shoal.  We  had  not 
landed  at  Trivanderam,  but  such  an  excursion  to  the  extreme 
point  of  Southern  India  had  well-nigh  made  up  for  all  our  dis- 
appointment. 

Meanwhile,  the  Prince  had  landed  at  Goa,  the  Portugue&j 
settlement,  and  the  place  whence  come  all  the  Portuguese  ser- 
vants who  make  life  a  burden  to  the  traveller.  You  heartily 
wish  them  at  Goa,  or  indeed  anywhere  else,  a  hundred  times  a 
day ;  yet  they  are  indispensable.  In  such  a  climate,  and  with 
such  a  system  as  prevails  in  India,  you  must,  wherever  you  go, 
take  your  own  servants,  or  you  will  get  nothing  to  eat,  nothing 
to  drink,  and  will  lose  your  luggage.  Then  comes  the  question, 
What  kind  of  servant  is  best  1  The  native  of  Madras  is  a  pro- 
verbial rascal,  and  I  am  able  to  say,  without  prejudice,  that  he 
deserves  his  character.  The  Hindoo  is  a  perpetual  bother  in 
travelling,  for  he  can  only  eat  in  a  certain  way,  at  a  certain 
time,  and  cannot  go  to  sea.  As  for  the  Mohammedan,  the  ex- 
perience of  an  Englishman  out  here  speaks  volumes.  Temper- 
provoking,  crafty,  troublesome,  full  of  excuses  for  laziness,  and 
frequently  dishonest,  you  are  in  constant  danger  of  being  pro- 
voked to  use  your  cane  upon  them,  in  which  case  the  chances 
are  that  you  will  be  fined  by  a  local  magistrate,  and  have  your 
name  published  in  the  newspapers.  Such  being  the  case,  you 
are  driven  to  employ  the  inhabitant  of  Goa,  partly  because 
he  speaks  English  fairly,  partly  for  the  reason  that  he  washes 
himself  occasionally,  and  can  upon  a  pinch  present  an  appear- 
ance bordering  upon  respectability,  though  that  is  not  often ; 
and  partly  also  because  he  distinctly  understands  the  inadvis- 
ableness  of  stealing  your  clothes,  and  confines  his  operations  to 
cheating  you  out  of  small  sums  in  paying  your  bills — an  achieve- 


THE    VOYAGE   TO   CEYLON.  103 

mont  which  affords  him  infinite  satisfaction,  and  is  possibly  less 
annoying  to  the  victim  than  are  the  vagaries  of  the  native 
servant. 

There  are  many  ways  of  decorating  a  place,  but  the  most 
original  method  I  ever  witnessed  was  adopted  at  Baroda.  It 
was  getting  dark  in  the  evening  on  which  the  Prince  was  to 
drive  through  the  native  town  when  I  passed  over  the  bridge 
that  led  to  the  railway  station.  Across  the  bridge  was  a  tri- 
umphal arch  of  palm  leaves ;  on  both  parapets  oil  lamps  had 
been  placed  in  such  a  fashion  as  to  illuminate  the  road  very 
grandly.  But  it  was  neither  the  arch  nor  the  lamps  that  sur- 
prised me.  There  was  nothing  very  extraordinary  in  the 
arrangement  of  the  foliage  or  the  situation  of  the  lamps.  Nor 
was  the  bridge  itself  worthy  of  any  great  attention.  On  that 
bridge,  however,  was  a  sight  to  be  witnessed  which  I  had  not 
seen  before.  The  decorators  were  manufacturing  angels.  It 
has  probably  not  been  the  fortune  of  many  among  the  British 
public  to  see  the  youths  of  Baroda.  They  are  mostly  Hindoos, 
who  never  wander  from  home ;  and  just  as  they  do  not  go  to 
the  outer  world,  so  the  outer  world  very  seldom  goes  to  them. 
I  may  therefore  mention,  by  way  of  information,  that  a  Baroda 
boy  is  one  of  the  most  ill-favoured  in  the  land.  He  has  a  face 
like  a  Hottentot,  arms  like  a  chimpanzee,  a  dark-brown  skin, 
and  bloodshot  eyes.  Anything  less  angelic  it  is  impossible  to 
conceive.  Yet  it  was  out  of  material  like  this  that  the  Gui- 
cowar's  decorators  were  making  angels. 

Two  ideas  were  prominent  in  the  mind  of  Sir  Madava  Bao's 
decorators  \  first,  that  his  angels  must  be  white ;  next,  that 
they  must  have  wings.  Whether  he  had  read  of  Pope  Gregory 
and  the  Saxon  slaves,  or  had  borrowed  his  ideas  from  Milton,  I 
do  not  know.  There  was  a  society  that  Hood  wrote  about, 
which,  finding  that  it  was  impossible  to  rub  negroes  white, 
determined  to  gild  them  ;  but  the  Baroda  artist  was  far  cleverer. 
With  a  huge  pot  of  whitewash  and  a  collection  of  properties 


104  WITH  TME  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

which  would  have  done  credit  to  the  store-room  of  a  London 
theatre,  he  set  to  work  furiously.  Ten  boys  were  fixed  at 
different  points  of  the  bridge,  and  the  position  known  in  the 
army  as  "  eyes  right"  once  obtained,  the  angel-maker  proceeded. 
With  a  great  brush,  such  as  is  used  by  bill-stickers  in  London, 
this  ingenious  man  whitened  each  young  Earodian  from  top  to 
toe.  Then  to  white  cords  passed  round  their  breasts  he  attached 
golden  wings  of  the  most  approved  pattern.  On  their  half- 
shaven  crowns  he  fixed  long,  flowing,  auburn  wigs,  and  sur- 
mounted this  piece  of  decoration  with  gilt  coronets;  in  each 
hand  he  placed  a  long  white  wand,  and  the  picture  was  com- 
plete. You  need  not  be  told  the  result ;  how  in  the  flickering 
glare  of  the  lamps  these  angels  more  closely  resembled  white- 
washed imps  than  seraphim ;  how  now  and  then  some  urchin 
more  mischievous  than  the  rest  would  take  off  his  locks  and  ex- 
pose a  bald,  black  pate ;  or  how,  as  he  passed  by,  the  Prince 
was  thrown  into  convulsions  of  laughter.  I  only  mention  the 
incident  to  give  you  an  idea  of  the  pitfalls  into  which  native 
decorators  are  apt  to  stumble  when  to  their  care  is  confided  the 
beautifying  of  a  place. 

Mr.  Gregory,  the  excellent  Governor  of  Ceylon,  had  fortun- 
ately no  such  helpers,  and  in  spite  of  the  extraordinary  difficul- 
ties he  experienced,  fast  turned  the  beautiful  city  of  Colombo 
into  fairyland.  I  believe  it  was  Bishop  Heber  who  remarked 
that  in  Ceylon  "  Every  prospect  pleases,  and  only  man  is  vile." 
About  the  villainy  of  Cingalese  man  I  cannot  say  much.  He  is 
not  good-looking;  he  wears  long  hair  done  up  in  a  cbignon  at 
the  back,  with  a  tortoise-shell  comb  to  keep  it  off  his  forehead ; 
he  chews  more  betel  nut  than  the  Hindoo  of  the  mainland ;  he 
delights  in  a  long,  bright-coloured  petticoat,  and,  unless  he  is  a 
Mohammedan,  wears  no  turban ;  but  whether  he  is  vile  or  not, 
I  cannot  say.  The  Cingalese  cabman  knows  well  that  you  must 
ride  when  the  thermometer  is  100  deg.  in  the  shade,  and  he  is 
a  trifle  exorbitant,  almost  as  much  so  as  his  London  cousin 


?THE   VOYAGE   TO   CEYLON.  lOS 

would  be  under  similar  circumstances ;  but  that  is  not  villainy, 
it  is  human  nature.  Yet  I  will  not  quarrel  with  the  writer  of 
the  hymn.  He  is  right  as  to  the  prospect ;  the  men  may  take 
care  of  themselves. 

Ceylon  is  certainly  a  lovely  island.  "We  descried — when  a  long 
way  at  sea — a  land  of  orange  and  cinnamon  groves ;  a  land  of 
the  date  and  the  bread-fruit ;  where  plantains  have  the  largest 
leaves,  the  banyan  tree  most  foliage,  where  the  palm  spreads 
widest,  and  lovely  singing-birds  are  most  numerous.  For, 
doubly-favoured  isle,  it  has  the  rain  of  the  Temperate  Zone  in- 
termingled with  the  heat  of  the  Tropics.  The  ground  is  con- 
tinually fertilised,  the  plants  and  trees  see  the  sun  always ;  the 
spice-laden  air  is  full  of  richness,  and  the  surrounding  sea  makes 
night  cool  and  refreshing.  Colombo  from  the  sea  is  a  fine 
picture  of  architectural  beauty  in  a  deep  setting  of  green. 
Yistas  of  pleasant  retreats  and  leafy  shades,  of  a  wide  beach 
and  handsome  buildings,  meet  us  at  every  turn.  And  when 
we  landed  we  found  the  view  from  the  distance  excelled  by  the 
sight  which  a  closer  inspection  gave  us.  Truly  it  was  a  wonder- 
ful place  to  which  we  had  come. 

"With  such  natural  advantages  and  so  energetic  and  loyal  a 
Governor  as  Mr.  Gregory,  what  might  not  have  been  made  of 
Ceylon  on  the  occasion  of  the  Prince's  visit  ?  I  am  afraid  to 
say  what  orders  were  given  by  the  Decoration  Committee,  and 
what  arrangements  were  made  for  utilizing  the  natural  beauty 
of  Ceylon.  All  that  was  wanted  was  that  the  time  should  be 
specified,  or,  failing  that,  sufficient  notice  to  allow  of  an  altera- 
tion in  the  plans.  Yet,  strange  to  say,  the  gentlemen  who 
managed,  or  rather  mismanaged,  i^he  Prince's  tour,  although 
they  knew  perfectly  well  more  than  a  fortnight  ago  that  the 
Neilgherry  trip  was  impossible  in  consequence  of  cholera,  failed 
to  make  the  fact  known  to  the  Council  at  Ceylon,  and,  indeed, 
only  mentioned  that  the  visit  of  the  Prince  would  take  place 
earlier  than  at  first  arranged.    Fortunately,  His  Excellency  the 


106  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

Governor  did  not  resent  this  cavalier  treatment,  as  less  amiable 
and  sensible  men  might  have  done,  but  addressed  himself  to  the 
task  of  preparing  to  receive  the  Prince.  The  result  was  mag- 
nificent. Triumphal  arches — one  of  which,  close  by  the  land- 
ing-place, is  a  marvel!  of  skill,  erected  in  the  form  of  a  castle 
and  pavilion — sprang  up  as  though  by  magic.  The  Queen's 
House — for  so  the  Governor's  residence  is  called — was  ready  for 
the  Prince ;  the  fleet  was  in  the  offing ;  and  all  that  was  want- 
ing was  the  "  Serapis,"  with  her  Royal  traveller. 

Within  an  hour  of  landing  at  Ceylon  I  learned  from  the 
Governor  that  England  had  practically  become  owner  of  the 
Suez  Canal ;  and  as  the  notes  of  one  who  but  lately  passed  to 
the  East  by  way  of  this  wonderful  route  may  be  of  interest,  I 
venture  to  give  my  own  experiences  of  the  canal.  I  do  not 
propose  to  set  down  a  single  figure ;  my  talk  shall  be  of  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  people  who  inhabit  the  region  and 
the  canal  itself. 

I  do  not  think  that  at  Port  Said,  the  point  where  the  canal 
begins,  the  ordinary  Englishman  would  find  much  to  please 
him.  I  have  been  told  that  after  a  soldier  has  passed  the  regu- 
lation year  at  Perim,  he  looks  upon  Aden  as  the  Garden  of 
Eden.  A  man  would  have  to  live  a  long  while  in  a  very  bad 
place  before  he  regarded  Port  Said  in  any  such  light.  There 
is  a  railway  which  somebody  began  a  long  time  ago ;  but  which 
nobody,  apparently,  proposes  to  finish.  There  is  a  dockyard 
which  is  a  model  of  disorder.  I  believe  that  the  Arab  popula- 
tion, which  fortunately  lives  by  itself,  is  the  most  rascally  in 
the  world,  and  I  am  sure  that  the  streets  in  the  native  quarter 
more  than  vie,  in  point  of  uncleanliness,  with  the  worst  parts 
of  Alexandria.  I  was  in  cliarge  of  a  guide,  and  as  I  traversed 
the  lanes  and  alleys  of  the  town,  took  his  opinion  of  his  fellow- 
citizens.  "  The  people,"  he  remarked,  "  very  great  blackguards 
indeed.  Best  you  not  come  ashore,  sar,  night-time.  Arabs  like 
to  see  gentlemen  with  watch  and  chain  in  streets  at  night-time 


THE   VOYAGE   TO  CEYLON.  107 

very  much.  Plenty  murders  here,  sar."  "  But,"  I  rejoined, 
"  are  the  thieves  not  punished  V1  "  Oh  yes,  sar,"  was  the  reply  ; 
"  they  beaten  on  the  feet  every  day,  but  they  not  care  a  bit." 
My  informant  was  not  far  wrong,  for  we  had  hardly  gone  a 
hundred  yards  when  we  came  upon  one  of  the  residents  of  Port 
Said  undergoing  at  that  moment  the  penalty  of  the  bastinado 
for  some  malpractice  or  other.  Temporarily,  I  should  judge, 
from  the  grimaces  he  made,  that  he  objected  to  the  punishment 
most  seriously,  but,  practically,  I  expect,  he  did  not  "  care  a 
bit,"  as  his  loquacious  countryman  said.  Why  should  he,  for- 
sooth 1  The  pain  of  the  bamboo  cane  once  over,  but  little  in- 
ducement to  good  influences  the  native.  Everything  runs  riot 
in  Port  Said.  The  Government  roads,  as  distinct  from  the 
Canal  Company's  roads,  are  almost  impassable.  The  streets 
are  full  of  dogs,  donkeys,  pigs — why  do  Mohammedans  keep 
pigs  1 — and  children.  The  heat  is  fierce ;  the  sand  is  blinding ; 
crime  is  rife,  and  punishment  is  irregular.  What  can  an  Arab 
gain  by  being  good  at  Port  Said  1 

Leaving,  then,  this  delectable  spot,  let  us  go  on  board  the 
steamer,  and,  passing  through  a  gate-like  entrance,  begin  our 
voyage  down  the  canal.  Several  ideas  strike  you  at  once.  First, 
that  the  canal  is  very  narrow;  secondly,  that  the  distance  is 
measured  by  English  miles  and  not  French  metres;  thirdly, 
that  there  is  a  continual  succession  of  mirages,  so  that  phantom 
lakes  of  delicious  aspect  surround  you,  and  thickly  foliaged 
trees,  to  your  mistaken  vision,  cover  the  desolate  plane.  I  say 
nothing  of  the  sandfly,  which  exceeds  the  mosquito  in  power 
of  jaw  and  activity  of  wing,  or  of  the  melting  sun.  The  latter 
you  find  everywhere  in  the  East;  the  former  is  absolutely 
welcome  in  place  of  the  pestering  fly  of  Alexandria  and  Port 
Said.  You  move  along  very  slowly,  making  not  more  than 
about  five  miles  an  hour,  and  this  gives  you  the  opportunity  to 
notice  several  curious  facts.  One  is  that  the  construction  of 
the  canal  has  brought  with  it  here  and  there  something  akin  to 


108  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

what;  we  are  accustomed  to  call  vegetation.  There  are  occa- 
sional patches  of  green  on  the  banks,  and  at  some  of  the  stations 
or  landing  places  on  the  canal,  out  of  which  trimly-dressed 
French  officials  emerge  as  you  pass  by,  there  are  little  groves 
of  trees.  These  are  but  of  recent  growth,  and  some  one  near 
tells  you  that  they  are  fostered  by  heavy  dews,  which  now  fall 
frequently,  and  rain  which  before  'was  not  known  in  Egypt. 
We  have  good  proof  of  this  at  nightfall,  when  we  anchor  off 
Ismailia.  There  we  see  a  grand  expanse  of  water,  a  large, 
natural  lake,  and  you  are  wondering  whether  the  pilot  cannot 
be  induced  to  take  you  on  by  moonlight,  when  a  thick  fog  falls, 
and  all  hope  of  moving  on  is  stopped,  not  only  for  the  night, 
but  for  the  greater  part  of  the  next  day  too. 

Nothing  more  is  needed  to  prove  that  the  climate  is  rapidly 
altering,  and  that  in  the  process  of  time  the  desert  may,  liter- 
ally as  well  as  figuratively,  "  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose." 
Indeed,  at  Ismailia  there  is  already  much  rejoicing  and  much 
blossoming  too.  There  are  public  gardens  of  no  ordinary 
beauty,  long  groves  of  young  trees,  luxuriant  hedges,  and  fruit- 
ful fields.  Ismailia  is  by  no  means  a  town  to  be  despised,  as 
its  well-built  houses  and  grand  summer  palace  testify.  And  if 
anything  were  wanting  to  prove  its  great  respectability,  it  is 
the  fact  that  all  its  donkeys  are  named  after  the  statesmen  and 
military  celebrities  of  Europe.  Napoleon,  Alfonso,  King  Wil- 
liam, Moltke,  Francis  Joseph,  and  Garibaldi,  were  all  waiting 
at  the  jetty  ready  saddled  when  we  landed.  I  chose  Bismark — 
a  grizzled  donkey  of  great  strength,  and,  looking  back  on  that 
moonlight  ride,  I  am  bound  to  say  that  he  outstripped  all  com- 
petitors, and  carried  off  honours  both  as  a  racer  and  as  a  kicker. 
Let  the  great  of  Europe  know  that  their  highest  honour  in 
Ismailia  is  to  have  a  donkey  named  after  them. 

Ismailia  is  about  halfway  down  the  banal,  and  supposing  the 
fog  to  clear  away  before  midday,  you  ought  to  arrive  at  Suez  by 
night.     This  is,  however,  by  no  means  certain,  even  in  these 


THE  VOYAGE    TO  CEYLON.  109 

days  of  steam.  Every  now  and  again  some  slight  turning 
occurs,  and  then  the  chances  are  that,  unless  directed  by  a  very 
skilful  pilot  and  a  good  crew,  the  ship  will  run  aground.  A 
variety  of  entertaining  incidents  follow.  You  may  be  asked  to 
leave  the  vessel  in  company  with  the  rest  of  the  passengers, 
and  so  lighten  the  ship — a  diversion  by  no  means  to  be  desired, 
as  it  involves  the  chance  of  your  having  to  sit  upon  the  hot 
sand  for  some  horn's,  while  the  sailors  are  exerting  themselves 
to  move  their  unwieldy  vessel.  Or  you  may  be  allowed  to  stop 
on  board,  but  required  to  dispense  with  the  awning  which  alone 
makes  life  bearable  in  the  desert;  and,  worse  than  all,  be  deaf- 
ened for  hours  by  a  badly-working,  clattering  donkey  engine 
and  windlass,  which  almost  invariably  for  the  first  fifty  attempts 
to  grasp  the  cable — which  is  attached  to  a  post  ashore,  and 
which,  if  properly  gripped,  wrould  pull  the  vessel  round, — lets  it 
slip  at  the  very  moment  when  a  well-sustained  pull  would  put 
everything  right.  If  you  get  through  the  Canal  with  less  than 
a  couple  of  such  experiences,  you  will  be  very  fortunate.  The 
"  Serapis"  went  aground  for  a  short  time,  and  so  has  almost 
every*yessel  of  considerable  tonnage  that  I  have  heard  of. 
Occasionally  the  blades  of  the  screw  are  lost  in  the  attempt  to 
move  the  ship,  as  was  the  case  with  the  "Sumatra"  some  time 
back ;  or  perhaps  the  ship  has  to  stop  for  twelve  hours  till  the 
tide  lifts  her,  so  that  it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  if  you  leave 
Ismailia  in  the  morning  you  will  see  Suez  before  night.  Still, 
if  you  have  good  fortune,  and  can  avoid  the  bad  places  in  the 
Canal,  you  may  go  along  quicker  even  than  that,  especially 
through  what  are  called  the  Bitter  Lakes,  where  ten  knots  an 
hour,  or  even  more,  may  be  made.  In  this  wa/  you  go  along, 
through  some  of  the  most  uninviting  scenery  in  the  world — 
arid  desert,  only  now  and  then  relieved  by  the  little  patches  of 
vegetation  which  have  recently  sprung  up,  an  occasional  mir- 
age, a  flock  of  birds,  and  now  and  then  a  party  of  Arabs  with 
their  camels,  their  wives,  and   their  cliidren,  sometimes  with 


110  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

merchandise  and  sometimes  not,  but  always  ineffably  dirty  and 
excessively  wild.  They  are  more  frequently  to  be  seen  at  the 
little  boat  bridges,  which  are  placed  at  certain  points  at  one 
spot.  They  claim  absolute  right  of  way,  having  enjoyed  the 
proprietorship  of  a  road  to  the  East  from  Egypt  ever  since 
Abraham  roamed  about  with  his  camels  and  goods. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  at  length  the  landing  of  the 
Prince  in  Ceylon.  One  or  two  pictures  presented  themselves, 
and  these  I  will  give  you. 

I  have  before  remarked  on  the  adaptability  of  the  palm  leaf 
for  purposes  of  ornamentation.  Perhaps  it  may  be  argued 
that  in  a  place  so  full  of  foliage  as  Colombo  floral  decoration 
was  needless.  But  given  that  triumphal  arches  are  an  ortho- 
dox expression  of  loyalty,  Colombo  outvied  Bombay  itself.  It 
is  the  home  of  fruits,  as  well  as  flowers.  The  mango  is  richer, 
the  pine-apple  finer,  and  the  cocoanut  more  plentiful  here  than 
anywhere  besides.  It  was  therefore  with  little  astonishment 
that  I  saw  pyramids  of  fruit  eight  feet  high  surrounding  the 
bases  of  arches,  fruit  hanging  in  great  clusters  all  along  the 
line  of  loute,  and  fruit  on  the  arches  themselves.  Pray  do  not 
imagine  that  what  we  in  England  know  as  a  triumphal  arch 
was  to  be  seen  in  Ceylon.  Here  were  lightness  and  strength, 
but  nothing  solid  or  heavy.  Thin  bamboos  strongly  tied 
together  till  an  arch  not  three  inches  thick,  but  fully  seventy 
feet  high  and  as  many  feet  broad,  was  raised,  might  well  excite 
wonder  in  a  mind  unused  to  such  sights.  Then,  when  all  kinds 
of  fruit  were  hung  from  the  supports  in  rich  clusters — the 
bright  yellow  and  red  of  the  young  cocoanuts  contrasting  with 
the  green  plantains  and  mangoes,  the  bread  fruit,  and  the 
areca  nut — an  arch  was  made  which  needed  no  inscription  to 
tell  its  meaning,  though  the  native  Christians  of  Colombo  had 
made  it,  and  thought  fit  to  say  so. 

Yet,  lest  there  should  be  sameness,  the  ingenious  gentleman 
to  whom  the  decorations  of  Colombo  were  confided  bethought 


THE   VOYAGE  TO  CEYLON.  HI 

him  of  something  new,  and  as  Ceylon  is  not  only  a  great 
fruit  store  and  conservatory  of  grandly  painted  flowers,  but  also 
the  home  of  the  elephant,  he  made  arches  of  effigies  of  these 
magnificent  creatures,  arches  of  elephants  composed  of  canvas 
and  rich  Oriental  blossoms,  arches  representing  the  king  of 
Ceylon  beasts  entwining  trunks  and  tusks,  and  upraising  their 
heads  in  order  to  let  the  Prince  pass  under.  You  never  lost 
sight  of  the  elephant  in  Ceylon.  True  that  he  was  not  in  the 
streets,  as  in  Baroda,  or  even  in  the  suburbs,  as  in  Hyderabad, 
but  the  effigy  was  everywhere.  We  saw  ebony  elephants  on 
drawing-room  tables,  golden  elephants  on  the  collars  of  officials, 
painted  elephants  on  banners,  brass  elephants  on  Government 
stamps,  and  the  first  thing  that  the  Prince  set  eyes  on  when 
he  landed  at  Colombo  were  two  black  images  of  elephants  with 
eyes  like  tea-saucers,  and  long,  black  trunks  grasping  cocoanuts 
firmly.  There  were  ether  classes  of  arches,  however.  Towers 
were  light — so  light,  indeed,  that  a  man  might  almost  have 
walked  away  with  a  whole  archway  easily — semi-circular 
arches,  square  arches,  and  arches  of  a  pattern  which  I  have 
never  seen  before,  sprang  up  everywhere.  The  materials  were 
certainly  close  at  hand ;  it  was  but  the  transfer  of  the  branches 
and  leaves  from  the  trees  on  the  roadside  to  the  arches ;  but 
for  all  that  the  artistic  beauty  of  the  structures  was  greatly  to 
be  admired,  and  Mr.  Gregory's  island  looked  its  very  best. 

I  will  not  trouble  you  with  the  addresses  of  the  Executive 
Council,  or  the  Municipal  Council,  nor  even  with  the  reply  of 
the  Prince.  First  of  all,  because  from  the  place  in  which  I 
stood  I  heard  nothing ;  secondly,  because  they  are  stereotyped; 
you  have  had  their  purport  already,  and  their  only  merit  was 
that  they  were  very  short.  I  believe  the  good  gentleman  who 
compiled  the  Cingalese  eloquence  was  thrown  from  his  carriage 
and  severely  bruised  an  hour  afterwards.  He  has,  however,  for 
consolation  the  knowledge  that  a  grateful  people  praise  his  skill 
in  condensing  the  local  welcome  into  a  few  very  choice  words. 

The  great  feature  of  ih.e  Colombo  arrival,  however,  was  the 


112  WITH  THE  FRINGE  IN  INDIA. 

display  on  the  water.  Royal  processions,  on  entering  fresh 
places,  are  pretty  much  the  same  everywhere.  The  aides-de- 
camp of  the  Resident  Governor  walk  first,  three  abreast,  and 
very  upright  indeed.  The  Prince  follows  by  the  side  of  the 
Governor,  bowing  first  on  this  side  and  then  on  that,  and  smil* 
ing  very  graciously.  The  suite  come  next,  in  something  very 
like  disorderly  array,  and  a  number  of  local  magnates  bring  up 
the  rear  of  the  procession.  It  is  the  same  at  every  capital,  and 
needs  no  special  description.  Perhaps  the  fact  that  the  native 
gentlemen  wore  chignons  and  semicircular  combs  in  their  hair, 
long  petticoats,  and  low  shoes,  might  add  something  to  the  in- 
terest of  the  scene ;  perhaps  also  the  appearance  of  sundry  old 
gentlemen,  who  were  adorned  with  great  discs  of  gold,  given 
them  as  rewards  for  good  behaviour,  by  successive  Governors, 
broad  bands  of  gold  lace,  and  golden  daggers,  should  be  described. 
The  readiness  with  which  one  of  them,  a  very  high  functionary 
indeed,  with  an  excessively  ugly  face,  and  an  exceedingly  pretty 
coat,  stood  to  be  sketched,  showed  that  he,  at  any  rate,  thought 
himself  worthy  of  especial  notice,  and  the  admiring  nods  of  his 
friends  testified  to  their  approval. 

But,  after  all,  triumphal  arches,  curiously  attired  natives, 
and  even  the  Royal  procession  itself,  were  by  no  means  the 
things  to  be  most  carefully  noticed.  The  scene  on  the  water 
was  the  most  extraordinary  sight.  There  were  funny  old  peo- 
ple who  had  engaged  drum-and-fife  bands,  to  play  in  their 
barges,  loyal  tunes  in  various  keys.  There  were  young  ladies 
who  dressed  like  old  men,  and  old  men,  who  dressed  like  young 
ladies,  seated  under  the  canopies  of  foliage,  and  placidly  wait- 
ing for  the  Prince,  who  kept  them  for  five  hours,  owing  to 
unforeseen  accidents,  and  to  the  foolish  miscalculations  of  his 
suite.  Yet  there  was  nothing  but  goodwill  and  loyalty.  The 
cheers  which  accompanied  the  salute  from  the  fleet  and  the  fort 
were  full  of  hearty  good-humour,  and  it  is  a  question  whether 
anywhere  else  the  Prince  met  more  gladsome  people,  or  people 
saw  a  more  gratified  Prince. 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

CINGALESE   FAIRY   LAND. 

On  the  journey  to  Kandy,  I  saw  what  I  believe  to  be  the 
prettiest  spectacle  in  the  world.  Before  the  vivid  impression  it 
has  made  upon  my  mind  dies  away  let  me  strive  to  depict  it. 

"  You  have  seen  nothing  till  you  have  been  to  Kandy,"  said 
the  Governor  of  Ceylon — hospitable  Mr.  Gregory — as  we  sat 
and  discussed  the  visit  of  the  Prince.  "It  is  the  loveliest  place 
in  creation,  and  when  you  have  seen  it  you  will  say  so,"  added 
his  Excellency.  It  was,  therefore,  with  no  little  expectation 
that  I  looked  forward  to  my  trip  to  Kandy.  Everything 
tended  to  make  that  expectation  greater.  Coffee-planters 
praised  the  decoration  of  Colombo,  but  recommended  Kandy  as 
a  place  needing  neither  ornamentation  nor  beautifying.  In- 
habitants of  the  port  themselves,  while  proud  of  the  city,  yet 
point  to  Kandy  as  the  summum  bonum  of  civic  excellence 
Kandy  must  be  a  pretty  place,  or  no  more  faith  could  be  placed 
in  ths  word  of  man.  Seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  was  fixed 
for  the  hour  of  our  departure  into  the  interior,  so  that  we  had 
the  best  part  of  the  day  before  us.  A  shady  sky,  too,  favoured 
the  travellers,  who  would  otherwise  have  been  half-roasted, 
crowded  together  as  we  were,  before  the  six  hours'  journey  was 
a  thing  of  the  past.  At  length  we  started,  and  then  a  panorama 
of  surpassing  beauty,  which  never  closed  for  a  moment  till  we 
reached  our  destination,  and  still  surrounds  us  whichever  way 
we  look,  opened  before  us.  It  is  vain  for  me  to  attempt  to 
describe  the  landscape  of  Ceylon.  Bring  together  the  grandeur 
of  Alpine  lands,  the  mellow  beauty  of  Swiss  scenery  where  the 
lake  of  Lucerne  looks  prettiest ;  add  to  the  sketch  admirably 


114  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

cultivated  fields  of  grain,  and  fill  the  picture  with  the  luxuriant 
foliage  of  the* tropics,  and  you  have  a  faint  idea  of  the  lovely 
scene  through  which  we  passed. 

It  is  a  great  privilege  to  see  Adam's  Peak.  When  first  I 
looked  at  it  we  were  fifty  miles  from  Ceylon,  in  half  a  gale,  on 
our  beam-ends.  Still,  trying  as  was  the  tossing  of  the  ship,  and 
doleful  as  looked  the  inky  sky,  with  its  afterwards  fulfilled 
promise  of  storm  and  lightning,  there  was  the  summit  bearing 
the  footprint  of  Buddha,  to  look  upon  which  is  as  meritorious 
an  act  for  a  Buddhist  as  a  journey  to  Mecca  is  for  a  follower  of 
the  Prophet.  For  aught  we  could  tell  to  the  contrary,  the 
print  of  that  wonderful  foot  might  be  on  the  very  side  of  the 
mountain  upon  which  we  were  gazing.  All  Oriental  persuasions 
revere  the  phenomenon.  Ask  a  Mohammedan,  and  he  will  tell 
you  that  the  huge  mark  was  the  footprint  of  Adam  ;  enquire  of 
a  Chinese,  and  he  will  award  the  honour  of  possessing  the 
largest  pedal  appanage  in  the  world— it  is  five  feet  long — to 
Fo.  Portuguese  writers  have  quarrelled  from  time  immemorial 
over  the  conflicting  claims  of  St.  Thomas  and  the  Eunuch  of 
Candace  to  this  mark  on  the  rock ;  the  Brahmins  have  every 
reason  to  be  perfectly  sure  that  Shiva's  toes  effected  the  imprint ; 
while  Moses  of  Chorene — a  very  sad  man,  who  ought  to  be 
remembered  with  much  reprobation — said  the  footprint  was  that 
of  Satan  himself,  and  not  of  a  saint  at  all. 

While  on  the  journey  to  Kandy  we  had  plenty  of  time  to  con- 
sider all  this.  Adam's  Peak  stood  out  against  the  sky  ever  so 
many  miles  away,  and  formed  the  centrepiece  in  the  background 
of  the  picture.  Round  its  elevated  head  the  clouds  played,  yet 
ever  and  anon  the  summit  would  be  lit  up  by  the  sun's  rays, 
the  sharp  peak  glittered  as  brightly  as  though  it  were  incandes- 
cent. Among  the  things  we  had  been  told  to  expect  was  a 
thrill  of  excitement  at  what  is  most  appropriately  known  as 
Sensation  Bock.  Have  you  ever  looked  into  the  interior  of  the 
crater  of  Vesuvius,  sat  in  the  train  as  it  passes  on  the  edge  of 


CINGALESE  FAIRY   LAND.  115 

the  precipice  which  overhangs  the  light  green  lake  Neuehatel ; 
walked  on  the  ledge  which  joins  the  Capel  Curig  and  the  Bedd- 
gellert  ascent  of  Snowdon  j  passed  along  the  line  which  leads 
to  the  Mont  Cenis  tunnel ;  looked  down  the  Righi  ascent ; 
gone  to  the  edge  of  any  one  of  the  chasms  which  abound  on 
Mount  Pilatus,  or  looked  down  the  precipices  over  which  you 
pass  when  you  go  over  the  Bhore  Ghauts  on  the  road  from  Bom- 
bay to  Poona  1  If  so,  you  can  estimate  the  grandeur  of  the 
sight  from  Sensation  Rock  when  you  learn  that  it  far  exceeds 
in  terrible  magnificence  any  and  all  of  these. 

Moreover,  you  are  not  looking  down  upon  a  flinty  surface  of 
barren  rock.  On  the  contrary,  nowhere  else  is  vegetation  so 
abundant.  You  are  full  of  wonder  as  you  see  the  myriads  of 
trees  and  flowers  which  cover  the  ground.  Scarcely  a  fruit  or 
a  leaf  that  belongs  to  tropical  climes  is  missing.  Were  you  to 
fall  over  the  edge  into  the  abyss  below,  you  would  never  reach 
the  earth.  Palms,  mangoes,  plantains,  banyans,  bread-fruit 
trees,  areca-nut  plants,  the  interlacing  arms  of  convolvuli,  trum- 
pet-flowers, huge  ferns,  and  a  hundred  other  exuberant  members 
of  the  vegetable  world  would  catch  you.  You  would  be  killed, 
for  a  fall  of  five  hundred  feet  upon  the  softest  of  couches  would 
be  deadly.  But  you  expire  upon  a  bed  of  unequalled  beauty, 
with  roses  for  your  pillow  and  palms  for  your  coverlet.  Every 
moment  the  scene  changed,  too,  in  this  wonderful  trip.  Coffee 
plantations  climbing  the  hills  would  be  seen,  then  the  striated 
surface  of  land  cultivated  for  rice,  next  thick  jungle  with 
scarcely  an  open  space  of  a  foot  wide  to  be  distinguished,  then 
the  mountain  scenery,  with  its  precipices,  and  afterwards  a 
flower-producing  district  of  surpassing  beauty.  In  this  way  the 
six  hours  flew  pleasantly  by,  till  at  length  we  reached  Kandy 
and  found  it  all  we  expected. 

Kandy  railway  station  presented  altogether  a  novel  sight  to 
the  Prince  and  those  who  accompanied  him.  All  at  once  we 
found  ourselves  in  a  new  land.     The  people  belong  to  a  differ- 


116  WITH  THE    PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

ent  type  and  race ;  the  scenery  was  different — everything  was 
strange  except  the  palm-leaf  decorations,  which  I  have  admired 
so  much  before.  I  will  not  stay  to  speak  of  the  flags  and  the 
other  matters — suffice  it  to  say  that  the  station,  without  a  single 
person  in  it,  would  still  have  looked  very  pretty.  But  the  great 
sight  was  the  assemblage.  Away  outside,  on  the  sides  of  the 
high  hills  which  shut  the  town  in  like  a  little  amphitheatre, 
were  small  knots  of  gaily  dressed  people  under  the  shade  of 
trees,  the  bright  red  and  white  dresses  pleasantly  contrasting 
with  the  varied  hues  of  light  and  deep,  dark  green,  and  on  a 
slope  inside  the  town,  close  to  the  station,  thousands  of  sight- 
seers had  taken  up  a  position.  All  along  the  road  on  both  sides 
were  very  extraordinary  persons  ;  they  were  called  "headmen," 
and  wore  something  peculiar,  greatly  resembling  a  square  pin 
cushion,  on  their  heads.  Note  that  it  was  not  this  gear  from- 
which  they  derive  their  title.  Their  business  is  to  control  dis- 
tricts under  the  management  of  superior  officers.  If  you 
chanced  to  be  a  Cingalese — and  you  could  not  find  a  lovelier 
home — you  would  be  registered  by  a  headman  directly  you  were 
born ;  your  arrival  at  the  age  of  fifteen — a  date  which  renders 
you  liable  for  military  service — would  be  chronicled  by  the 
headman ;  to  a  headman  you  would  go  when  you  wished  to  be 
married,  and  to  a  headman  your  relatives  would  go  when  they 
wanted  to  bury  you.  Such  were  the  men  who  lined  the  road 
by  which  the  Prince  was  to  travel  when  he  left  the  station. 
They  led  the  way  to  the  pretty  triumphal  arches  circled  by  the 
town ;  they  pointed  to  the  beautiful  trophy  with  a  revolving 
minaret  erected  by  a  Mussulman  grandee,  which,  when  the 
Prince  arrived,  sent  out  a  golden  canopy  resting  upon  wires 
fixed  high  in  the  air,  in  such  fashion  that  it  overshadowed  the 
canopy  of  the  Prince  till  he  came  in  front  of  Government 
House. 

But  to  return  to  the  inside  of  the  station.     The  most  prom- 
inent object  for  the  Prince's  inspection,  was  a  party  of  Veddahs 


CINGALESE  FAIRY  LAND.  117 

advantageously  placed  on  the  top  of  a  cattle  truck.  Here  were 
the  veritable,  wild  men  of  the  jungle — eight  in  number — with 
their  equally  veritable,  wild  women.  The  Cingalese  looked  at 
them  in  mute  astonishment.  Even  they  had  never  seen  such 
savages  before.  Miserable  skeletons  with  long  matted  hair — 
one  of  them,  an  elderly  and  toothless  person,  resembled  a  ship's 
mop  more  nearly  than  anything  else  I  can  think  of — with  great, 
rolling  eyes,  almost  naked  bodies,  grasping  their  bows  and 
arrows  and  looking  round  nervously  as  though  they  would 
jump  off  the  truck  and  dart  away,  these  Veddahs  crouched  to- 
gether and  glared  like  wild  beasts.  They  had  been  brought 
down  from  the  hills  in  the  Eastern  province  for  the  Prince  to 
see,  and  they  were  a  strange  company  to  behold.  Next  day  I 
saw  them  once  more,  and  the  result  of  my  observation  you  shall 
presently  have.  Just  below  them  stood  the  57th  Regiment, 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Logan,  all  in  white  dresses,  and 
wearing  white  helmets.  Then  a  number  of  gentlemen  with 
doubtfully  fitting  dress  coats,  stood  grouped  together,  the 
Municipal  Council  of  the  city  of  Kandy.  But  these  were  by 
no  means  the  conspicuous  portion  of  the  gathering.  Have  you 
ever  heard  of  the  old  Kandyan  Chiefs,  the  grand  old  men  who 
still  hold  the  drums  captured  from  Major  Davie's  force  when 
they  beat  the  English  down  to  the  gates  of  Colombo,  and  ex- 
tended their  independence  for  twelve  years  ?  If  so,  let  me  say 
that  they  are  now  the  most  loyal  subjects  of  the  Queen,  that 
one  of  them  has  conferred  great  favours  upon  Kandy,  and  that 
they  are  now  as  contented  as  they  were  once  troublesome. 
Still,  had  they  been  dressed  in  the  costume  of  Europeans,  they 
might  not  have  attracted  so  much  attention,  certainly  they 
would  not  have  added  so  greatly  to  the  interest  of  the  scene. 
They  came  down  in  their  most  resplendent  robes,  with  the  pin- 
cushion cap,  richly  embroidered  and  crowned  in  the  centre  by 
an  aigrette  of  emeralds,  pearls,  sapphires,  and  rubies,  long  white 
dresses  and  drawers,  marvellously  worked,  and  gilded  jackets, 


118  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

and  broad  gold  lace  bands  round  their  waists.  And  there  they 
stood,  in  two  groups,  on  each  side  of  the  carpet  along  which 
the  Prince  would  pass,  ready  to  give  him  a  Kandyan  welcome. 
Behind  them  again  were  some  Buddhist  priests,  with  dirty 
shaven  heads  and  long  yellow  robes  ;  the  people,  the  horses  and 
carriages  did  the  rest.  The  Prince  was  enthusiastically  re- 
ceived, he  spoke  to  the  chiefs,  entered  the  carriage,  and  drove 
away  up  to  the  town  to  the  music  of  bands  and  the  shouts  of 
the  people. 


CHxlPTER  X. 


KANDYAN   CURIOSITIES. 


From  the  day  when  I  first  read  "Mangnall's  Questions," 
and  trembled  lest  I  should  forget  their  answers  when  I  stood 
before  my  tutor  and  the  desk  in  which  I  knew  a  particularly 
thick  cane  was  hidden,  I  have  understood  that  the  Buddhists 
had  eccentric  ideas.  But  until  the  day  I  visited  Kandy  I  did 
not  know  that  they  could  be  half  so  eccentric  as  I  now  find 
them  to  be. 

It  had  been  announced  that  a  Perahera  would  be  held  in  the 
evening  in  front  of  the  Pavilion  or  Government  House,  in 
which  the  Prince  temporarily  stays.  What  a  Perahera  was  it 
was  not  easy  to  learn.  That  it  was  a  religious  procession,  and 
had  something  to  do  with  very  religious  elephants  was  well- 
known,  but,  for  the  rest,  my  own  very  imperfect  knowledge  of 
the  elegant  language  called  Tamil,  and  the  ignorance  of  English 
displayed  by  my  informant,  conveyed  very  little  information. 
It  was,  therefore,  with  some  slight  degree  of  curiosity  that  I 
took  my  place  in  the  garden  of  the  Government  House,  and 
waited  for  the  fete.  I  had  seen  sacred — very  sacred — bulls, 
monkeys,  and  goats  at  Bombay,  but  as  yet  it  had  not  fallen  to 
my  lot  to  see  sacred  elephants.  The  gardens  of  the  Pavilion 
are  equally  beautiful  with  the  rest  of  Kandy.  Leaves  of  all 
shades,  flowers  of  all  sorts,  surround  a  very  pretty  mansion.  A 
fine  portico  with  very  wide  steps  and  grandly-designed  pillars 
opens  upon  a  broad  pathway.  It  was  in  this  pathway,  close  by 
the  portico,  where,  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  seats 
for  the  few  privileged  spectators  of  the  Peraheran  sacred  proces- 
sion were  placed.  A  somewhat  similar  spectacle  was  promised 
to  the  people  for  the  morrow.  This  was  to  be  a  very  select  and 


120  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDtA. 

private  performance.  Looking  down  the  pathway,  which  was 
purposely  very  dimly  lighted  by  a  few  Chinese  lanterns,  you 
saw  at  the  far  extremity  a  great  blaze  of  torches  and  lamps. 
An  inordinately  inquisitive  person  would  probably  have  gone 
at  once  to  the  gate,  and  dissolved  the  spell  of  mystery  which 
overhung  the  proceedings.  But  those  who  were  wise  took  the 
Governor's  advice  and  waited  on  either  side  of  the  Prince  till  a 
signal  was  given  and  the  glare  and  flare  of  the  torches  came 
nearer.  It  was  then  clear  that  an  extraordinary  spectacle  had 
been  prepared  by  the  Buddhist  priests  as  a  token  of  extreme 
favour  to  the  Prince  of  Wales.  For  there  were  the  chiefs  of 
the  temples,  the  custodians  of  the  sacred  tooth  of  Buddha,  with 
their  elephants,  banners,  and  insignia  of  priestcraft,  attended 
by  their  dancers  and  tom-tom  beaters,  and  accompanied  by  the 
Kandyan  chieftains  whom  we  saw  at  the  station. 

To  those  who  have  not  heard  religious  tom-toms  played  by 
religious  men,  it  is  difficult  to  convey  the  sensation  which  we, 
who  were  not  used  to  such  a  noise,  experienced.  Twenty  very 
large  tom-toms,  beaten  with  very  large  sticks  by  very  strong 
fists,  made  the  attack.  In  advancing  upon  us  the  players  had 
considerable  advantages.  They  wore  very  little  clothing,  so 
that  their  sinewy  arms  were  quite  unencumbered ;  they  were 
celebrated  for  the  clatter  they  could  make,  and  had  been  incited 
to  excel  themselves  on  this  occasion ;  then  they  had  to  aid  them 
a  beautiful  echo,  which  vastly  increased  the  din ;  and,  lastly, 
they  were  allowed  to  come  as  close  as  they  pleased.  I  do  not 
complain  that  my  ear-drums  tingled — I  do  not  think  anybody 
dreamt  of  mentioning  the  ear  in  connection  with  that  terrible 
noise.  Long  before  the  tom-toms  and  their  beaters  had  taken 
up  a  good  position  the  sound  had  penetrated  far  beyond  the  ear, 
and  was  preying  upon  the  vitals  of  the  half-stunned  English- 
men ;  it  struck  upon  the  cavity  of  the  chest,  it  descended  to  the 
pit  of  the  stomach,  the  ear  gave  up  resistance  as  useless,  and  let 
the  sound  fly  all  over  the  body  till  we  absolutely  quivered. 


KANDYAN   CURIOSITIES.  121 

While  this  noise  was  going  on,  there  emerged  from  the  pro- 
cession about  a  dozen  of  the  ugliest  young  men  we  had  yet 
seen.  They  were  plentifully  ornamented  with  strings  of  pearls 
and  spangles ;  on  their  ankles,  wrists  and  necks  were  little  cym- 
bals, which  made  a  rattling,  clinking  sound,  which,  therefore, 
would  introduce  a  new  element  of  misery  to  listeners,  had  not 
the  tom-tom  players  been  by  this  time  exhausted  and  obliged 
to  play  with  considerably  less  vigour.  The  twelve  men  began 
to  dance,  while  the  torches  were  held  round  in  order  that  they 
might  see  where  to  jump.  For  jumping  would  be  a  better  de- 
scription of  their  exercises  than  any  other  word.  First  they 
would  spring  forward  and  then  they  would  fly  back,  then  twirl 
round  on  their  heels,  shake  their  cymbals,  strike  the  little 
tom-toms  which  they  carried  under  their  arms,  and  utter  a  yell. 
As  a  savage  performance  it,  no  doubt,  had  its  merits,  but  when 
it  had  been  repeated  a  dozen  times  the  Prince  had  had  enough 
of  it,  and  they  were  ordered  to  move  on. 

Next  to  them  came  a  long  string  of  elephants,  ridden  by 
priests,  and  very  gaudily  dressed.  I  had  good  reason  to  know 
that  the  first  rider  was  chief  of  a  temple,  for  during  the  after- 
noon I  had  wandered  into  the  interior  of  a  shrine  on  the  assur- 
ance that  my  presence  would  not  be  objected  to,  when  that  old 
gentleman  rushed  in,  threw  off  his  long  yellow  robe,  and  per- 
formed a  dance  round  me  very  similar  to  that  which  the  jump- 
ing twelve  had  favoured  the  Prince  with.  A  dignified  retreat 
became  advisable,  as  the  priest  was  being  imitated  by  some  of 
his  assistants,  and  their  rage  was  rapidly  increasing.  I  had, 
therefore,  as  I  backed  out  of  the  temple,  keeping  my  face  to- 
wards my  assailants,  good  opportunity  for  noticing  the  linea- 
ments of  that  fierce  priest's  face,  and  hence  my  recognition  of 
him  when  the  elephants  went  by.  Somehow  or  other,  to  his 
evident  chagrin,  nobody  else  seemed  to  know  him,  however, 
and  the  three  first  elephants  were  allowed  to  pass  by  almost 
unnoticed.     The  fourth  was  a  particularly  fine  animal,  and  as 

8 


122  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

he  approached,  the  Prince  held  out  a  tempting  piece  of  sugar- 
cane, upon  which  the  loyal  creature  dutifully  knelt,  conveyed 
the  cane  to  his  mouth,  and  then,  thoughtfully,  held  out  his  trunk 
for  more.  He  got  more  cane,  but  not  quite  of  the  kind  he  hoped 
for;  it  was  a  stroke  from  a  malacca,  admonishing  him  to  get  up 
and  make  room  for  another.  That  other  was  not  far  behind ; 
indeed,  he  was  down  on  his  knees,  holding  out  his  trunk,  before 
the  Prince  could  give  him  a  handful  of  plantain.  But  his 
energy  was  rewarded — he  received  the  fruit,  and  made  off  with 
it  as  rapidly  as  possible.  After  this  fashion  about  a  dozen 
elephants  were  treated,  and  then  the  Kandyan  chiefs  whom  we 
had  seen  in  the  afternoon  came  up  in  a  body,  preceded  by  their 
banners  and  sword-bearers,  made  a  low  obeisance  to  the  Prince 
and  passed  on. 

In  this  way  the  procession  continued  without  nagging.  The 
dancers  varied  in  costume,  and  in  manner  of  performance ;  the 
elephants  had  their  own  idiosyncrasies :  some  preferred  sugar- 
cane, some  chose  plantains,  some  refused  to  move  till  they 
received  both.  Then  the  dancers,  as  they  sprang  out  of  the 
surrounding  gloom  into  the  glare  of  light,  had  their  eccentrici- 
ties. There  was  one  who  insisted  on  turning  somersaults  till 
he  got  too  giddy  to  turn  any  more,  and  had  to  be  led  away. 
There  were  a  dozen  with  conical  caps  made  of  strips  of  brass, 
who  danced  till  they  had  to  be  removed.  There  were  tom-tom 
beaters,  too,  who  played  and  jumped  and  jumped  and  played 
till  Mr.  Gregory  could  bear  with  them  no  longer,  and  they  were 
chased  away ;  aud  there  were  even  dancing  torch-bearers,  whose 
gyrations  were  both  fearful  and  wonderful.  Little  need  for 
wonder  was  there  that  a  tiny  elephant,  unused  to  such  a  clatter, 
made  a  shrill,  trumpeting  noise  with  his  trunk,  rushed  at  the 
gateway,  and  vainly  attempted  to  dance  too — in  this  instance,  a 
fandango  on  the  body  of  a  native.  For  two  hours  the  din  con- 
tinued, the  enormous  procession  having  apparently  no  end. 
But  at  last  it  was  over.  The  Prince  retired,  and  Kandy  went 
to  sleep. 


KANDYAN    CURIOSITIES.  123 

The  knighting  of  Mr.  Gregory,  now  Sir  William  Gregory, 
K.C.M.G.,  and  the  exhibition  of  the  sacred  tooth  of  Buddha, 
are  two  events  which  will  long  be'  remembered  in  Kandy.  To 
a  Buddhist  the  description  of  the  tooth  and  its  surrounding* 
would  be  most  important,  for  great  advantages  come  to  the 
fortunate  man  who  looks  upon  that  sacred  relic  and  lives.  To 
a  loyal  Englishman  the  investiture  ceremony  would  be  of  para- 
mount importance.  Let  us  be  loyal,  and  look  into  the  audience- 
chamber  of  the  old  palace,  where  already,  an  hour  before  the 
announced  time,  all  society  in  Kandy  is  assembled. 

No  insignificant  building  is  that  in  which  we  find  ourselves. 
A  large  oblong  apartment,  with  a  richly-carved  ceiling,  sup- 
ported by  magnificent  columns  of  teak,  having  a  broad  space 
in  the  centre,  colonnades  on  each  side,  and  at  one  end  a  raised 
dais.  On  the  dais  are  a  throne  of  crimson  velvet  for  the  Prince, 
and  an  armchair  for  the  Governor.  Flags  hang  from  the  walls  • 
floral  decorations  are  plentiful;  the  English  ladies  and  gentle- 
men who  are  ranged  in  tiers  inside  the  colonnades  are  bril- 
liantly attired  in  evening  dress  and  uniforms.  A  guard  of 
honour  holds  the  approaches  to  the  dais;  the  apartment  is 
resplendently  lighted;  only  one  fault  is  noticeable — the  Prince 
will  face  the  south  when  presently  he  sits  in  Dunbar,  the  sad- 
dest omen  of  danger  that  the  Cingalese  know.  Why  did  not 
some  well-instructed  person  tell  his  Royal  Highness  that  a 
King  of  Kandy,  or  an  Heir  Apparent  to  this  mountainous 
realm,  should  always  face  the  north  when  on  the  throne  ?  In- 
side the  centre  space,  to  the  right  of  the  dais,  was  a  scene  which 
has  seldom  before  been  witnessed.  A  number  of  Kandy  ladies, 
dressed  in  white,  and  beautifully  decorated  with  jewels,  are 
seated  in  a  long  row,  ready  to  welcome  the  Prince.  You  look 
at  them,  and  see  at  once  that  they  are  high-caste  ladies  of  no 
mean  birth.  The  conclusion  is  right;  these  grand-looking 
dames  are  no  less  than  the  wives  of  the  chiefs  of  Kandy,  come 
for  the  especial  purpose  of  seeing  their  lords  wait  upon  his 


124  WITH  THE  PBINCE  IN  INDIA. 

Royal  Highness.  Wliile  we  are  regarding  all  this  a  stir  is 
noticeable  outside.  A  band,  which  is  stationed  between  two 
lines  of  artificial  elephants,  strike  up  the  National  Anthem, 
and  instantly  the  Prince,  loudly  cheered,  enters  the  hall,  accom- 
panied by  the  Governor  and  suite,  and  ascends  the  dais.  The 
officers  group  themselves  behind,  the  audience  settles  down,  and 
nothing  is  heard  but  the  faint  cheering  of  the  crowds  outside. 
It  is  a  marvel  that  that  is  heard.  For  a  tropical  storm  has 
burst  over  Kandy.  The  lightning  is  flashing,  the  rain  is  de- 
scending in  torrents,  the  illuminations  which  but  a  few  moments 
before  made  Kandy  brilliant,  from  the  tops  of  the  mountains, 
where  bonfires  blazed,  to  the  island  in  the  lake  which  occupies 
the  centre  of  the  city,  and  was  resplendent  with  Chinese  lamps, 
are  fist  going  out.  But  we  must  leave  the  people  outside,  for 
the  chiefs  are  passing  along  the  hall,  not  on  all  fours,  but  erect 
and  proud,  conscious  of  their  dignity,  and  fully  equal  to  the 
exigencies  of  the  occasion.  Five  abreast,  with  those  extraordi- 
nary  hats  of  theirs  on  their  heads,  they  approach  slowly,  and 
then,  as  their  names  are  severally  announced,  bow,  and  retire. 
Not  for  long,  however.  A  few  minutes  later,  they  return,  bear- 
ing in  their  hands  a  huge,  silver  casket,  of  exquisite  workman- 
ship, containing  all  kinds  of  silver  instruments,  for  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  betel  nut.  "With  great  grace  they  present  this, 
and  with  equal  grace  it  is  received.  Then  they  file  off  once 
more,  and  leave  the  space  in  front  of  the  dais  vacant. 

Just  now  the  Governor  is  seen  to  leave  his  place,  at  the  left 
of  the  Prince,  and,  in  a  mysterious  fashion,  pass  down  the  hall 
by  one  of  the  corridors.  There  is,  simultaneously  with  this 
movement,  a  procession  forming  at  the  far  end  of  the  room.  It 
advances  slowly,  and  then  we  see  that  Mr.  Gregory  is  advancing 
towards  the  dais,  followed  by  Mr.  Douglas,  the  Auditor-Gene- 
ral; Mr.  Birtch,  the  Colonial  Secretary;  and  the  rest  of  his 
Excellency's  suite.  Everybody  stands  up,  Mr.  Gregory  makes 
a  profound  bow  to  the  Prince,  who  at  once  begins  a  short  ad- 


RANDY  AN   CURIOSITIES.  125 

dress,  which  is  to  the  purport  that  the  Queen,  recognizing  the 
many  merits  of  her  right,  trusty  councillor,  the  Governor,  has 
resolved  on  making  him  a  Knight  Commander  of  the  Most 
Illustrious  Order  of  St.  Michael  and  St.  George ;  that  he  (the 
Prince)  has  been  commanded  to  confer  the  honour,  and  that  it 
was  with  peculiar  pleasure  that  he  did  so.  Then  a  gentleman, 
with  a  roll  of  paper  in  his  hand,  steps  forward  and  reads  a 
patent,  which  tells  how  that,  on  the  3rd  of  December,  the 
Queen  was  pleased  to  direct  that  "William  Gregory  should  be 
distinguished ;  and  next,  a  document  directing  the  Prince  to 
carry  out  the  patent ;  whereupon  Lord  Charles  Beresford  un- 
sheathes a  sword  and  hands  it  to  his  Royal  Highness.  Mr. 
Gregory  kneels  down,  and  the  Prince,  touching  him  on  both 
shoulders,  says,  "Rise,  Sir  William  Gregory!"  and,  as  the 
newly-made  knight  gets  up,  shakes  hands  with  him.  I  need 
not  give  the  exact  text  of  the  address  the  Prince  delivered.  It 
was  complimentary  to  the  Knight,  to  his  suite,  to  his  province. 
Nor  need  I  trouble  you  with  the  words  in  which  Mr.  Gregory 
expressed  his  thanks.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  they  were  few, 
well  chosen,  and  loyal.  Sir  William  will  always  value  the 
Order,  but  most  of  all  because  it  has  been  presented  him  by  the 
Prince.  Then  the  Governor  has  to  read  the  time-honoured 
document,  which  promises,  in  case  of  promotion,  degradation,  or 
death,  Sir  William,  his  heirs,  or  assigns,  will  duly  return  the 
glittering  star,  which  the  Prince  has  just  clasped  round  his  neck, 
and  then,  with  another  shake  of  the  Royal  hand,  and  another 
bow  to  the  Royal  throne,  he  reascends  the  dais,  and  takes  his 
seat  once  more  by  the  side  of  the  Prince.  Without  much  loss 
of  time,  the  Prince  now  decorates  two  members  of  the  Council 
with  the  dignity  of  C.M.G.,  leaves  the  platform,  advances  to 
the  wives  of  the  chieftains,  shakes  hands  wTith  them  all,  and 
then,  followed  by  his  suite,  makes  for  the  Buddhist  Temple, 
and  Buddha's  tooth. 

It  was  fortunate  that  the  temple  was  within  the  precincts  of 


126  WITH  THE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

the  palace,  for  the  storm  continued,  and  the  rain  fell  fast.  We, 
however,  were  happily  able  to  pass  by  a  covered  way  into  the 
sacred  building  through  the  serried  ranks  of  hundreds  of  Bud- 
dhist priests,  all  clad  in  yellow  silk  robes,  a  fine  array  of  proud 
men,  with  their  closely  shaven  beards  and  their  bared  right 
arms.  They  did  not  bow,  for  a  Buddhist  priest  knows  of  none 
greater  than  himself  save  Buddha ;  but  their  welcome  seemed 
none  the  less  hearty.  On  we  went  through  the  sacred  corridor, 
up  the  sacred  steps,  into  the  sacred  shrine  itself,  where  the  high 
priest  stood  ready  to  welcome  the  Prince.  There  were  eight 
priests  and  twenty  Englishmen  crowded  into  a  little  room 
about  eight  feet  square,  which,  brightly  lighted  and  heavily 
hung  with  drapery,  combined  to  form  a  very  "  warm  corner" 
indeed.  However,  his  Royal  Highness  with  great  good  humour 
accommodated  himself  to  circumstances,  and,  refusing  to  listen 
to  the  suggestion  of  one  of  his  underlings  that  all  save  one 
or  two  should  quit  the  apartment,  waited  for  the  production  of 
the  sacred  tooth. 

It  was  not  to  be  exhibited  in  a  hurry,  however,  without  due 
ceremony,  or  indeed,  without  some  respect  for  our  nerves.  So 
he  first  of  all  produced  some  pretty  jewellery,  next  some  chains, 
a  great  quantity  of  precious  stones,  and  then  a  large  bell-shaped 
casket  of  silver,  richly  ornamented  with  gems  and  chains. 
Raisirg  this  very  slowly,  he  exposed  another  carandua,  simi- 
larly wrought  and  similarly  ornamented,  then  another  and 
another,  each  enclosed  within  the  preceding.  We  looked  with 
some  surprise  at  our  Buddhist  friends,  and  wondered  whether 
after  all  the  tooth  was  there.  But,  at  last  a  little  gold  casket  was 
reached,  beautifully  ornamented  with  rubies,  sapphires,  and 
diamonds,  and  then  it  became  evident  that  the  last  box  had 
been  reached.  Besides,  too,  the  priest  had  now  taken  the  box 
in  his  hands,  and  was  slowly  raising  the  lid.  How  necks  were 
craned  forward  and  eyes  strained  to  catch  the  first  glimpse  of 
this  relic  of  Gotama  Buddha.     At  last  it  burst  into  view,  and 


BUDDHIST  PRIESTS  EXHIBITING  BUDDHA'S  TOOTH  TO  THE  PRINCE  AT  KANDY. 


K ANDY  AN    CURIOSITIES.  127 

we  were  in  possession  of  all  the  good  which  those  gain  who  are 
fortunate  to  see  the  mortal  remains  of  a  god.  I  am  bound  to 
admit  that  it  was  large  enough  to  satisfy  anybody,  and,  more 
than  that,  to  say  that  if  Gotama  Buddha  ever  did  have  such  a 
tooth  as  that  in  his  head,  he  might  fairly  claim  to  be  excused 
from  all  responsibility  for  anything  he  said  or  did.  What  we 
saw  was  a  huge  piece  of  ivory,  about  two  inches  and  a  half  long, 
and  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  rising  slowly  to  a  smoothly 
rounded  cone,  reposing  on  a  gold  lotus  leaf. 

After  this  we  were  shown  the  largest  emerald  in  the  world, 
a  huge  gem  three  or  four  inches  long  and  nearly  two  inches 
deep,  in  the  form  of  a  likeness  of  Buddha.  Of  its  value  the 
priests  could  say  nothing ;  but  there  was  little  doubt  that  it 
was  real,  the  Prince  very  shrewdly  remarking  that  the  Bud- 
dhists were  too  good  judges  to  be  deceived  in  such  a  matter ; 
then  an  anklet  which  used  to  be  worn  by  the  Kings  of  Kandy, 
and  a  number  of  other  jewels,  amongst  them  a  great  sapphire 
as  large  as  a  walnut,  very  richly  set.  This  concluded  the  ex- 
hibition, whereupon  the  Prince  presented  the  priests  with  two 
handsomely-bound  dictionaries,  promised  to  hear  a  part  of  their 
scriptures  read  presently,  and  also  to  receive  as  a  present  a 
copy  of  their  sacred  books.  This  done,  his  Royal  Highness 
quitted  the  shrine,  which  was  once  more  closed  and  jealously 
guarded.  So  much  for  the  tooth  for  which  one  of  the  Kings  of 
Siam  offered  a  million  sterling.  Next  day,  when  I  visited  the 
temple,  hundreds  of  eager  Buddhists  were  crowding  into  the 
sacred  room.  They  had  brought  offerings  of  money,  of  cloth, 
of  beeds  and  ornaments ;  one  carried  a  great  bottle  of  eau-de- 
Cologne  as  a  gift,  another  had  brought  a  picture.  In  the  cor- 
ridors of  the  temple  were  some  dozens  of  men  and  women  with 
plates  full  of  beautiful  flowers,  which  they  sold  as  offerings  to 
Buddah  ;  and  altogether  a  strange  scene  of  chaffering,  bargain- 
ing, crowding,  giving,  and  worshipping  was  witnessed. 

The  ceremony  of  hearing"  the  words  of  Buddha  was  to  take 


128  WITH   THE  PEINGE  IN  INDIA. 

place  in  the  Octagon,  a  tower  also  belonging  to  the  palace  where 
the  Kings  of  Kandy  were  wont  to  view  their  subjects.  It  is 
an  eight-sided  room,  with  an  open  verandah.  Seated  here,  the 
Prince  could  look  down  upon  the  Esplanade,  a  green  square 
near  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  see  the  people  massed  in 
thousands  waiting  to  see  his  Royal  Highness,  and  waiting  to 
see,  moreover,  the  public  Perahera,  or  Procession  of  Elephants, 
a  private  rehearsal  of  which  we  had  attended  on  the  previous 
evening.  It  was  not  long  in  taking  place.  Some  priests 
entered,  bearing  two  rolls  of  manuscript,  which  were  presented 
to  the  Prince  in  return  for  the  dictionaries,  a  selected  reading 
was  gone  through,  there  were  smiles,  congratulations,  and  a 
parting.  Then  looking  out  of  the  verandah  upon  the  Esplanade, 
through  the  heavy  rain  which  still  fell,  the  Prince  waited  the 
procession  of  elephants.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  sight  would 
have  been  as  pretty  and  as  effective  as  was  the  rehearsal,  had 
not  the  rain  spoilt  everything.  Down  it  came,  putting  out 
torches  and  lamps  and  Chinese  lanterns  alike,  making  the  very 
elephants  so  miserable  that  some  of  them  refused  to  trumpet 
with  their  trunks  when  they  went  past  the  Octagon,  a  breach 
of  manners  which  would  otherwise  never  have  entered  the  head 
of  a  well-bred  elephant.  Still  the  people  stood  patiently  till 
the  procession  had  passed  and  the  Prince  had  gone,  when  they 
slowly  separated,  though  drenched  to  the  skin  by  the  dismal 
rain.  Next  morning  the  Prince  went  away  to  the  far  interior 
to  shoot  elephants. 

Here  it  was  that  his  Royal  Highness  met  with  the  only 
accident  of  his  trip ;  and  after  this  fashion.  It  is  universally 
conceded  that  no  human  being  can  by  any  possibility  be  in  two 
places  at  once.  Let  me,  therefore,  while  delaying  to  chronicle 
the  adventures  of  the  Prince  in  the  forests  of  Ceylon,  recount 
first  of  all  what  befell  the  Duke  of  Sutherland,  Lord  Alfred 
Paget,  Lord  Carington,  and  one  or  two  others  of  the  Prince's 
suite  who  left  Colombo  for  Neuralia,  and  so  parted  company 


K  ANDY  AN    CURIOSITIES.  129 

with  his  Royal  Highness  for  a  day  or  two.  To  do  this  it  must 
first  of  all  be  understood  that  Neuralia  is  a  hill  station,  blessed 
with  a  climate  very  similar  to  that  of  England,  producing  all 
the  fruits  and  flowers  that  we  love  best  at  home,  while  at  the 
same  time  it  has  many  blossoms  and  trees  of  which  we  in  Eng- 
land see  nothing.  More  than  that,  its  woods  abound  with  game 
of  all  kinds ;  the  elk  is  plentiful,  bison  and  buffalo  abound, 
cheetahs,  too,  and  panthers,  to  say  nothing  of  the  great  guana 
— a  lizard  of  gigantic  proportions,  which  runs  at  you,  opens  its 
great  mouth,  and  if  report  be  true,  bites  like  a  young  alligator 
— snakes,  and  leeches.  Then  there  are  floods  which  swamp 
the  country ;  so  that  perils  wait  the  huntsman  by  water  as  well 
as  by  land.  You  may  be  strangled  by  a  boa,  eaten  by  a  panther, 
or  drowned  by  a  stream  at  any  moment — excitement  enough  for 
anybody.  It  was  to  this  pleasant  district  that  part  of  the 
Prince's  suite  went. 

I  wish  I  could  picture  to  you  the  country  through  which  they 
passed ;  high  hills  covered  with  coffee -plants,  plains  of  paddy 
(or  rice)  fields,  thick  jungle  in  which  the  lentana,  the  palm, 
plantain,  and  other  plants  are  found — a  vegetable  thicket  only 
to  be  found  in  the  zone  of  the  tropics.  It  must  not  be  supposed 
that  the  Prince's  party  travelled  thither  on  foot.  On  the  con- 
trary, an  appointed  carriage — an  omnibus  in  size — conveyed 
them  to  the  place  where  Sir  William  Gregory  spends  a  fourth 
of  the  year,  as  Governor  of  the  island.  Thence  the  trip  was  of 
a  more  sportsmanlike  character.  Quitting  Neuralia  early  in  the 
morning,  the  party  proceeded,  partly  on  horseback  and  partly 
on  foot,  to  the  place  where  sport  was  expected.  At  length  an 
estate  belonging  to  an  hospitable  planter  named  Denning  was 
reached,  and  here  a  pack  of  deer-hounds  was  found.  Without 
more  ado  these  were  soon  taken  out,  and  as  quickly  were  in  full 
cry.  Through  the  jungle,  round  by  paths  marked  by  travellers, 
over  hills  and  across  valleys,  the  elk  was  pursued,  till  at  length 
it  was  caught  by  one  of  the  foot-hunters  who  pursued  the  game 


130  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

armed  with  long  knives  for  the  purpose  of  killing  it  should  the 
dogs  fail.  They  had  been  exceedingly  useful  in  this  instance. 
The  elk  was  found  to  be  stabbed  and  dead,  and  with  this,  as 
rain  was  falling  heavily,  the  party  returned  to  Neuralia,  and 
next  day  rejoined  his  Eoyal  Highness. 

The  news  that  the  Prince  had  met  with  an  accident  created 
some  consternation  in  Colombo.  Intelligence  of  that  kind 
looses  nothing  by  travelling,  and  it  was  soon  stated  most 
positively  that  the  Prince  had  had  a  very  narrow  escape,  that 
the  carriage  in  which  he  rode  had  been  broken  to  pieces  on  the 
very  edge  of  a  precipice,  that  he  was  picked  up  out  of  the 
relics  of  the  vehicle  in  much  the  same  manner  as  a  cask  of  flour 
is  removed  from  a  wreck;  and  that  altogether  the  "catastrophe" 
was  one  of  the  most  serious  description.  I  at  once  telegraphed 
home  to  the  effect  that  all  this  was  an  exaggeration.  The  facts 
were  these :  the  Prince  having  spent  a  Sunday  at  Ruanwella, 
advanced  on  the  Monday  morning  to  a  kind  of  platform  in  the 
jungle,  close  to  which  it  was  reported  a  party  of  seven  elephants 
were  hidden.  Amongst  them  was  a  "rogue" — that  is,  a 
peculiarly  vicious  tusker — whose  charging  propensities  were 
already  well  known  to  hunters  in  Ceylon ;  and  it  was  hoped 
that  the  savage  animal  would  fall  a  victim  to  the  Prince's  rifle. 
To  ensure  this,  if  possible,  a  number  of  beaters  were  sent  out 
to  drive  the  elephants  past  the  crow's-nest  on  which  the  Prince 
was  stationed.  But  it  was  all  to  no  purpose ;  the  elephants 
refused  to  take  part  in  the  fun,  and,  after  waiting  for  three  or 
four  hours,  the  Prince  was  as  far  from  shooting  the  "  tusker" 
as  ever.  At  last  wiser  counsels  prevailed,  and  the  Prince,  des- 
cending from  his  waiting  place,  entered  the  jungle,  accompanied 
by  two  good  shots  of  colonial  celebrity.  Presently  the  Prince 
got  sight  of  an  elephant,  fired,  and  brought  him  down ;  the 
beast  was,  however,  only  wounded,  for  he  got  up,  and  went  off 
almost  immediately  afterwards,  with  great  ease.  Another 
chance  of  sport  offered  itself,  however,  almost  directly,  and  this 


KANDYAX  CURIOSITIES.  131 

time  it  was  successful;  a  fine  large  elephant  was  shot,  and 
his  tail  secured  as  a  trophy  for  his  Royal  Highness.  One  or 
two  more  were  wounded  later  on,  and  then  the  party  prepared 
to  return.  Returning,  however,  from  a  shooting  expedition  in 
Ceylon,  is  not  always  an  easy,  or,  indeed,  practicable  feat,  and 
the  Prince,  in  the  return  journey  from  Ruanwella  was  unfor- 
tunate. The  night  was  dark,  fireflies  and  the  torches  of  natives, 
stationed  at  various  intervals,  were  the  only  lights  to  be  seen, 
when  at  a  sharp  corner  about  five  miles  from  the  scene  of  the 
shooting  a  piece  of  bad  ground  was  found.  It  is  not  an  easy 
thing  to  drive  "  Csesar  and  all  his  fortunes."  The  Governor's 
coachman  lost  his  head,  and  upset  the  vehicle.  Over  it  went 
with  a  crash,  but  so  complete  was  the  somersault  that  no  one 
in  the  carriage  was  hurt.  The  Prince  was  safe,  though  covered 
with  debris.  Lord  Charles  Beresford,  the  hero  of  the  Poona  acci- 
dent, crawled  out  unhurt,  and  an  aide-de-camp  who  was  one 
of  the  party  was  not  inconvenienced.  By  the  light  of  torches 
the  elephant's  tail,  the  Prince's  trophy,  was  discovered  amid 
much  merriment.  His  Royal  Highness  took  his  seat  in  a  spare 
carriage,  and  proceeded  at  once  on  his  journey  to  Colombo, 
being  so  little  incommoded  by  his  misadventure  as  to  hold  a 
levee  in  the  afternoon,  visit  the  Horticultural  Gardens  later  in 
the  day,  and   attend  a  State   dinner   and   State   ball  in  the 


CHAPTEE  XL 

THE   VEDDAHS   OP   CEYLON, 

Who  is  it  that  says  a  Veddah  cannot  smile  %  If  it  be  Mr. 
Hartshorne,  as  an  indignant  and  personal  friend  of  the  Veddahs 
told  me,  let  him  hear  of  the  following  incident. 

The  Prince  had  hardly  left  the  railway  station,  and  his  fol- 
lowers had  scarcely  done  struggling  for  carriages,  when  a 
Cingalese  clergyman,  by  name  the  Rev.  D.  Somanader,  court- 
eously enquired  if  I  would  like  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
the  savages  on  the  top  of  the  railway  trucks  %  I  had  read  Mr. 
Hartshorne's  story  with  too  much  interest  to  hesitate  for  one 
moment,  and  I  at  once  invited  the  whole  of  the  Yeddahs  to  a 
breakfast  in  the  garden  adjoining  my  apartments.  Seven 
o'clock  was  the  hour  appointed,  and,  true  to  the  minute,  the 
eight  gentlemen  and  three  ladies  composing  the  party,  attended 
by  Mr.  Somanader  and  a  clergyman  of  the  district,  named 
Coles,  entered  the  garden. 

The  breakfast  of  a  Veddah  is  not  a  serious  business.  Very 
often  it  consists  of  plenty  of  fresh  air,  a  drink  of  water,  and  a 
long  walk.  Our  cuisine  was  an  improvement  on  this.  We 
had  green  cocoa-nuts,  plantains,  some  rice,  and  a  little  curry. 
Yos  must  know  that  the  Veddah  likes  meat  as  well  as  fruit.  In 
his  native  home  he  enjoys  a  roasted  monkey  or  a  toasted  lizard 
(the  guana)  exceedingly,  and  would  not  mind  at  any  time  eat- 
ing a  piece  of  venison,  if  fortune  chances  so  to  favour  him. 
When  the  fickle  goddess  is  not  kind,  he  goes  without  flesh 
meat,  or,  like  the  flying  ant  of  the  island,  eats  anything  he  can 
get  short  of  iron.  The  appearance  of  the  cocoa-nuts  delighted 
our  guests,  and  they  proceeded  to  partake  of  this  first  course 


THE  VEDDAHS  OF  CEYLON.*  133 

with  as  much  gusto  as  a  London  gourmand  tastes  his  turtle  and 
punch.  It  is  always  a  joy  to  a  Veddah  to  get  a  good  meal.  If 
in  talking  to  him — always  supposing,  on  the  principle  of  the 
old  cookery  books,  that  you  can  first  ca'tch  your  Veddah,  and 
next,  that  when  you  have  caught  him,  you  can  understand  his 
pleasant  language — you  suggest  exertion  of  any  kind,  he  is 
courteous  but  firm  upon  one  subject.  Before  he  works  he  must 
eat,  and  he  will  point  to  an  empty  stomach  at  once  to  indicate 
this  to  you.  This  peculiarity  was  accordingly  met  by  the  pro- 
vision we  had  made,  and  it  was  the  business  of  the  Yeddahs  to 
make  the  most  of  the  opportunity.  Taking  the  hatchet  kind 
of  hammers  they  carry  in  their  waist-cloth,  they  knelt  down 
and  cut  through  the  fibrous  covering  of  the  nut,  through  the 
hard  shell  also,  and  so  reached  the  kernel,  which  they  pushed 
into  their  mouths  as  rapidly  as  possible.  I  thought  I  detected 
a  smile  on  the  face  of  one  shock-headed  old  gentleman,  without 
teeth,  when  he  found  that  his  nut  was  one  of  undoubted  good- 
ness. But  it  was  needless  to  look  just  then — he  laughed  heart- 
ily presently,  as  you  shall  know.  As  for  the  young  ladies,  a 
very  tender  nut,  some  plantains,  and  bread  were  handed  to  each 
of  them.  They  consumed  nearly  the  whole  at  once,  and  handed 
over  the  fragments  to  a  thoughtful-looking  male  friend,  who, 
without  regard  for  anybody  who  might  chance  to  be  hear,  took 
off  his  waist-cloth,  and,  wrapping  up  the  surplus  eatables  there- 
in, replaced  it  in  such  a  fashion  that,  had  he  been  a  European 
lady  instead  of  a  Yeddah  savage,  the  articles  in  question  would 
have  constituted  an  excellent  dress-improver.  Then  the  party 
adjourned  into  a  corner  to  cook  the  rice  we  had  given  them, 
which  enabled  me  to  make  enquiries  of  their  guardian,  and 
Mr.  Coles,  as  to  their  manners  and  customs. 

The  party  in  Kandy  were  taken  purposely  from  a  very  sav- 
age hill  tribe,  and  only  persuaded  to  come  down  by  very  con- 
siderable gifts  of  money,  and  ornaments  for  the  women.  Each 
of  the  girls  had  from  twenty  to  thirty  silver  rings  on   her 


134  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

fingers,  besides  rings  on  her  ankles,  and  arms,  given  her  before 
she  started :  and  of  these  treasures  they  were  all  very  proud. 
I  have  spoken  of  their  food;  let  me  tell  of  their  marriage  cus- 
toms. Living  in  huts,  which  can  be  built  in  an  hour,  and 
making  their  cooking  utensils  mainly  from  the  leaves  of  trees, 
the  household  arrangements  of  the  Veddahs  are  not  such  as  to 
call  for  any  serious  preparation.  When  a  young  man  falls  in 
love  with  a  maiden,  he  first  of  all  obtains  her  consent,  and  then 
waits  upon  her  parents,  who  only  demand  that  he  shall  present 
their  daughter  with  a  piece  of  cloth.  He  assents,  the  cloth  is 
produced,  the  lovers  become  husband  and  wife  at  once,  and  re- 
main so.  There  is  no  religious  ceremony,  for  of  religion  the 
Veddah  has  no  idea.  The  only  supernatural  being  of  which  he 
has  any  notion  is  a  devil,  which,  by  the  way,  is  a  very  respect- 
able sort  of  fiend,  indeed,  and  not  at  all  so  implacable  and  bad 
as  our  Western  Beelzebub.  The  Veddah's  demon  is  really 
only  a  misguided  person,  who  is  fond  of  mischief;  and  when, 
therefore,  anybody  falls  ill,  his  friends  get  some  jaggery,  or 
native  sugar,  a  little  piece  of  cocoa-nut,  and  any  other  luxury 
which  circumstances  permit  of,  and,  placing  it  on  a  leaf,  dance 
round  it  till  they  think  the  Satanic  anger  is  appeased. 

Breakfast  over,  the  Veddahs  were  summoned  to  shoot.  So 
much  has  been  said  about  their  skill  with  the  bow  and  arrow, 
that  we  were  careful  to  watch  their  powers  very  narrowly. 
We  placed  a  leaf  about  ten  inches  long  by  six  square  upon  a 
bamboo,  about  thirty  yards  from  the  place  where  they  stood, 
and  then  invited  them  to  shoot.  Two  arrows  were  sped  at 
once ;  the  first  shot  of  the  shock-headed  old  man  went  clean 
through  the  leaf;  the  second,  discharged  by  a  thin  man  with 
long  hair,  struck  the  bamboo  and  knocked  it  down.  It  was 
clear  that  the  target  was  too  close  for  such  marksmen,  and  we 
removed  it  to  nearly  double  the  distance,  when  the  shooting 
began  again.  In  all  about  twenty  arrows  were  fired  ;•  scarcely 
one  fell  six  inches  from  the  target,  most  of  them  either  went 


THE  VEDDAHS  OF  CEYLON.    *  135 

through  the  leaf  or  touched  it ;  a  man  at  the  distance  would 
have  been  struck  by  eighteen  arrows  at  least.  When  a  marks- 
man made  a  particularly  good  shot  there  was  a  shout  of  con- 
gratulation ;  when  a  bad  shot  was  made  the  archer  looked  at 
his  bow  with  anger  and  adjusted  the  string  with  great  care. 
The  thin  man — why  call  one  thin  when  all  were  skeletons  ? — 
was  most  successful,  and  won  a  rupee ;  the  gentleman  with  the 
vagrant  locks  came  next,  and  received  threepence.  As  for  the 
rupee,  I  am  bound  to  say  it  was  received  as  a  matter  of  course 
— seized  with  ungrateful  avidity;  but  the  threepenny-piece 
was  clearly  a  matter  of  surprise.  A  second  prize  evidently 
entered  into  nobody's  calculation.  I  suspect  that  when  a  race 
for  a  plump  monkey  takes  place,  the  rule  is,  Eclipse  first,  and 
the  rest  nowhere — the  fortunate  person  who  gets  the  monkey 
eats  it  all,  and  his  friends  look  on.  Anyhow,  the  two-anna 
piece  was  a  surprise.  The  recipient  turned  it  over  twice — it 
was  a  new  coin  and  glittered  in  his  dirty  palm  very  enticingly. 
In  an  instant  he  popped  it  into  the  rag  encircling  his  waist,  and 
then  refuted  Mr.  Hartshorne  by  laughing.  Yes,  there  could  be 
no  mistake  about  it — the  Yeddah  had  got  something  to  laugh 
for.  An  unexpected  threepenny-piece  was  all  gain — he  could 
well  afford  to  be  merry.  Nor  let  it  be  thought  that  he  was 
not  a  pure  wild  man.  He  was  the  typical  man  of  the  party, 
with  more  hair,  fewer  teeth,  and  less  clothing  than  any  of  them 
— a  magnificent  hand  at  eating  green  cocoa-nuts,  and  a  great 
lover  of  some  bitter  red  bark,  which  he  placed  between  his  gums 
occasionally,  and  mumbled  with  great  pleasure. 

The  shooting  over,  and  this  jocular  Yeddah  having  sat  for 
his  portrait,  a  dance  was  proposed  and  agreed  to,  on  the  exhi- 
bition of  a  few  rupees,  which  were  subscribed  for  the  purpose. 
You  must  not  suppose  for  a  moment  that  the  ladies  danced. 
Still,  the  part  they  took  in  the  ceremony  was  one  that  aston- 
ished me.  We  were  under  the  shade  of  some  plantains ;  a  cool, 
quiet  nook,  covered  by  leaves.     Five  of  the  men  formed  a  kind 


136  WITH  THE  PBINCE  IN  INDIA. 

of  circle ;  three  stood  at  the  side ;  the  women  took  up  a  position 
a  little  way  off.  Till  then  I  had  not  had  an  opportunity  of 
looking  fully  at  them ;  but  now  I  noted  that  although  they 
were  very  thin,  their  countenances  were  bright,  their  eyes 
bright,  their  carriage  almost  as  erect  as  that  of  the  Mahratta 
women  of  Bombay,  and  their  skin  several  shades  lighter  than 
the  men's.  They  were  of  a  distinctly  different  type  from  the 
Cingalese,  not  having  a  single  feature  of  resemblance;  but 
although  undoubtedly  savages  of  a  low  order,  they  were  neither 
repulsive  nor  indeed  ugly.  The  three  men  struck  up  a  song ; 
the  five  began  a  singular  dance  which  consisted  in  a  hop  on 
one  leg  and  a  bob  of  the  head — altogether  something  both  novel 
and  funny.  Just  then  I  looked  up,  and  the  Yeddah  women 
were  actually  laughing — laughing  and  hiding  their  faces,  too, 
as  though  they  were  bashful.  What  could  it  all  mean  1  A 
bashful  Yeddah  lady  is,  if  I  mistake  not,  altogether  unmen- 
tioned  by  Mr.  Hartshorne,  and  was  quite  unlooked  for  by  me. 
But  the  secret  was  soon  explained.  Those  sad  dogs  of  Veddahs, 
those  gay  young  men  from  the  hills,  were  singing  a  love  song, 
with  some  questionable  passages  in  it,  and  the  girls  were  laugh- 
ing. So  far  as  the  faces  of  the  men,  dancers  and  singers  alike, 
were  concerned,  no  confirmation  of  this  could  be  gained,  for 
from  the  low  monotonous  chant  and  the  savage  dance  I  could 
learn  nothing.  Yet  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  reverend  guardian 
of  these  savages  was  right,  and  that  Ycdduh  humanity  is  very 
like  other  humanity  all  the  world  over. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE    SACRED    TOOTH. 

It  was  my  fortune  to  obtain  a  second  glance  at  Buddha's  tooth, 
under  somewhat  singular  circumstances. 

Some  years  ago,  when  the  funds  of  the  temple  became  low, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  raise  money  for  the  crowd  of  priests 
who  live  in  Kandy,  the  tooth  was  exposed  to  the  view  of  pil- 
grims for  three  weeks,  and  a  good  round  sum  was  obtained. 
Those  who  gave  much  enjoyed  a  prolonged  stare,  smaller  donors 
were  allowed  to  look  and  move  on,  whilst  the  rest,  whose  offer- 
ings were  insignificant,  but  who  were  admitted  on  the  old  prin- 
ciple that  "  mony  a  mickle  maks  a  muckle,"  were  hurried  past. 
It  had  been  expected  that  the  tooth  would  be  exhibited  now  for 
a  similarly  long  period,  and  the  faithful  in  the  country  were 
gathering  up  their  skirts  and  girding  themselves  for  a  pilgrim- 
age to  Kandy,  when  suddenly  the  Dewee  Nilemee,  a  kind  of 
Dean  of  the  Temple,  issued  a  notice  that  the  relic  would  be  put 
away,  and  at  the  same  time  invited  me  to  witness  its  restora- 
tion to  its  place.  I  had  before  imagined  that  the  room  to  which 
the  Prince  of  Wales  had  been  admitted  was  the  ordinary  shrine 
of  the  relic,  and  at  first  hesitated  to  obey  the  summons ;  but 
deliberation  resulted  in  a  change  of  intention,  and  I  repaired  to 
the  temple. 

To  reach  the  room  to  which  I  was  told  the  relic  had  been 
conveyed  it  was  necessary  to  go  to  the  side  of  the  temple,  and 
thence  by  a  narrow  and  dimly-lighted  stone  staircase,  jealously 
guarded  by  priests,  into  a  small  square  ante-room.  As  I  entered 
the  door  of  the  apartment  I  noticed  that  it  was  covered  with 
beaten  gold,  that  the  posts  were  composed  of  an  outer  strip  ot 
finely-carved  wood,  then  a  strip  of  ebony,  next  a  strip  of  carved 

9 


138  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

ivory,  and  after  that  one  of  embossed  silver,  the  inner  strip  of 
all,  namely,  that  next  the  door,  being  of  gold.  Passing  under 
a  curtain  which  was  now  lifted,  I  entered  the  room  and  found 
myself  in  the  company  of  about  twenty  priests,  all  guarding 
very  jealously  the  inner  apartment  of  all.  It  was  clear  that  I 
had  arrived  at  the  resting-place  of  the  relic,  else  what  could 
mean  the  sliding  iron-barred  gate,  which,  being  drawn  back, 
showed  a  golden  door  with  ornamental  posts,  exactly  like  those 
I  have  already  mentioned?  A  heavy  curtain,  however,  pre- 
vented my  looking  through  the  doorway,  and  three  or  four 
stout  Cingalese  prevented  my  further  progress.  It  was  possible 
that  I  might  have  to  turn  back  after  all,  for  the  priests  gave 
me  looks  that  could  not  be  called  affectionate,  and  muttered  in 
their  unpleasant  language  remarks  the  reverse  of  complimen- 
tary. I  was  wondering  whether  the  purchase  of  a  plateful  of 
flowers  which  stood  on  a  table  would  be  of  service,  whether  I 
should  drop  some  money  into  an  iron  grating  close  to  the  door, 
evidently  the  receptacle  of  offerings,  and  so  try  the  effect  of 
benevolence,  or  whether  I  should  retreat,  when  the  Dewee 
Nilemee's  face  appeared  in  the  doorway,  and  I  was  admitted 
into  the  sacred  chamber. 

The  room  I  was  now  in  was  scarcely  more  than  six  feet 
square  and  nine  high.  The  ceiling  was  heavily  hung  with  what 
had  once  been  yellow  silk,  now  discoloured  and  almost  black. 
The  walls  were  bare ;  there  were  two  other  doors — on  the  right, 
and  on  the  left — both  fastened,  and  I  could  discover  no  window 
and  no  means  of  ventilation  whatever.  Facing  the  door,  on  the 
step  of  which  I  stood,  was  a  square  iron  cage,  raised  three  feet 
from  the  ground  and  reaching  to  the  ceiling.  The  floor  of  the 
cage  was  of  beaten  silver.  In  the  centre  of  the  floor  was  a  huge 
silver  gilt  bell-like  structure,  beautifully  embossed,  more  than 
four  feet  high,  and  at  the  base  nearly  three  feet  in  diameter. 
On  a  silver  table  in  front  of  this  cage  were  all  the  jewels  we 
had  seen  exhibited  on  Friday  night  to  the  Prince ;  some  half- 


THE   SACRED    TOOTH.  139 

dozen  golden  pagodas,  the  receptacles  for  these  treasures,  were 
there  also,  and  nine  priests  were  preparing,  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  Dewee  Nilemee,  to  put  all  away.  There  lay,  also, 
the  sacred  tooth  on  the  golden  lotus  leaf,  ready  to  be  placed  in 
the  largest  pagoda  of  all.  Eight  or  ten  lighted  wax  candles, 
some  in  stands  and  some  in  the  hands  of  the  priests,  added  to 
the  almost  unbearable  heat  of  the  apartment,  in  which  thirteen 
or  fourteen  people  were  crowded  together.  With  great  ceremony 
the  little  golden  casket  containing  the  tooth  was  closed  by  the 
high  priest,  his  brethren  of  the  golden  robe  raising  their  hands 
in  pious  attitude  the  while.  The  largest  pagoda  was  then 
opened,  and  all  the  inner  cases  I  had  previously  seen  were  taken 
out  and  opened.  One  by  one  they  received  the  relic,  only  now 
each  was  wrapped  in  muslin  as  it  was  placed  in  the  next 
largest  case  There  seemed  occasionally  to  be  especial  care  to 
arrange  the  muslin  in  a  certain  way.  Everything  was  clearly 
done  according  to  rule,  and  those  shaven  yellow-robed  priests 
were  determined  to  do  their  work  well.  A  curious  sight  it  was 
to  see  them  bending  over  the  relic,  the  guttering  candles  in 
their  hand,  while  the  Deweee  Nilemee  jealously  watched  the 
gradual  swathing  of  the  treasure.  Case  after  case  received  it, 
more  muslin  was  handed  up  whenever  wanted,  till  at  last  it  was 
ready  for  the  golden  pagoda.  Then  it  finally  disappeared  from 
view,  a  golden  key  was  produced,  the  pagoda  was  locked,  and  for 
the  present  placed  on  one  side. 

I  wish  I  could  fully  describe  that  pagoda.  It  must  be  of 
great  value,  for  it  is  of  pure  gold,  is  very  heavy,  and  nearly  two 
feet  high.  From  the  umbrella  or  topmost  story  of  the  pagoda, 
hang  chains  which  support  splendid  jewels,  catseyes  nearly  an 
inch  in  diameter,  a  sapphire  quite  as  large,  besides  diamonds 
and  rubies ;  but  only  an  actual  sketch  in  bright  colours  can 
convey  to  the  eye  an  adequate  idea  of  its  beauty. 

The  next  treasure  to  be  similarly  wrapped  in  muslin  and  put 
away  was  the  emerald  Buddha,  which  was  also  placed  in  a 


140  WITS  TEE  PBINCE  IN  INDIA. 

pagoda,  somewhat  smaller  though  quite  as  pretty.  There  were 
the  anklet  and  one  piece  of  open  gold  filagree  work,  heavily  set 
with  diamonds  and  other  stones,  to  go  into  another  pagoda,  and 
then  the  great  sapphire  we  saw  an  evening  or  two  ago.  Each 
was  wrapped  up  carefully,  each  hidden  under  the  closest  super- 
vision, and  of  each  due  account  was  taken  by  the  Dewee 
Nilemee.  At  length  the  two  high-priests  climbed  up  into  the 
cage,  and  proceeded  to  lift  the  top  of  the  bell  from  its  place. 
They  were  strong  men,  but  the  effort  needed  was  a  great  one, 
and  it  was  some  little  time  before  the  massive  piece  of  gilded 
silver  was  taken  up.  So  soon  as  it  was  done,  however,  one  of 
the  priests  knelt,  and,  handing  out  some  more  muslin,  produced 
at  length  a  silver  bo-tree,  a  bag  full  of  little  golden  images  of 
Buddha,  some  chains,  studs,  and,  in  fact,  about  as  miscellaneous 
a  collection  of  jewellery  as  you  would  find  in  a  West-end  shop. 
Out  it  came  by  handfuls,  to  be  counted  by  the  Dewee  Nilemee, 
and  given  into  the  custody  of  the  priests,  who  placed  the  articles 
in  the  remaining  pagodas.  But  an  end  will  come  to  the  pro- 
duction of  treasures,  be  they  never  so  many,  and  an  end  came 
to  these ;  the  pagodas  were  full,  and  it  now  only  remained  to 
wrap  them  all  in  thick  folds  of  muslin.  This  done,  the  receptacle 
of  the  book  was  lifted  up  by  the  high  priests,  a  deep  obeisance 
was  made,  and  then  it  was  placed  in  the  centre  bell-shaped  case. 
One  after  another  the  rest  of  the  pagodas  were  placed  round  it, 
the  silver  bo-tree  following  last  of  all ;  and,  when  this  had  been 
achieved,  and  the  number  duly  counted,  the  priests  lifted  the 
silver  top  once  more,  and  with  a  supreme  effort  got  it  into 
position.  The  Dewee  Nilemee,  with  evident  pride,  produced  a 
large  gold  key,  and  locked  the  huge  casket. 

This  was  not  all,  however.  A  band  of  thin  iron  was  now 
brought,  and  entwined  round  the  bell  in  such  a  way  that,  with 
the  aid  of  a  small  padlock  which  was  attached  to  it,  entrance 
to  the  bell  was  most  effectually  prevented;  and,  the  padlock 
being  fastened,  some  more  muslin  was  brought,  wrapped  over 


THE   SACRED    TOOTH.  141 

the  lock,  and  sealed  with  the  Dewee  Nilemee's  seal,  bearing  a 
golden  dodo,  and  his  name  in  Cingalese.  A  gold  umbrella  from 
which  chains  and  jewels  hung  was  fixed  on  the  top  of  the  bell, 
ornamental  pieces  were  added  to  it,  till  at  length  it  stood  out  in 
the  centre  of  the  cage,  a  glittering  pagoda,  ready  for  the  worship 
of  all  who  visit  the  shrine  and  are  allowed  for  a  consideration 
to  peer  through  the  bars  at  the  resting-place  of  the  tooth.  The 
barred  gate  having  been  drawn  and  fastened  by  a  key  in  custody 
of  one  of  the  high  priests,  the  candles  were  put  out,  and  we, 
perspiring  and  faint,  emerged  into  the  outer  room,  saw  the 
door  locked,  the  second  grating  fastened,  and  a  watch  appointed 
to  guard  the  treasure.  The  relic  of  Buddha  had  been  safely 
consigned  to  its  shrine. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A    WEEK     IN    MADRAS. 

In  the  room  where  I  sat  to  write  this  there  was  the  engraved 
portrait  of  a  very  extraordinary  old  man.  His  face  wore  the 
most  complete  expression  of  idiotic  joy  that  could  possibly  be 
infused  into  any  countenance.  Underneath  was  the  following 
inscription:  "  Rajah  of  Rajahs,  Rajah  Chundoo  Lai,  Maharajah 
Bahadoor,  the  devoted  servant  of  Asuf  Jah ;  who  is  the  Roostum 
of  his  Age,  the  Aristotle  of  his  Time,  the  Conqueror  of  Countries, 
the  Administrator  of  States,  the  Governor  of  Realms."  Exhib- 
ited almost  anywhere  else,  that  grin  depicted  on  Bahadoor's 
face  would  be  almost  incomprehensible.  But,  with  the  fair 
view  of  the  wide-spreading  sea  shore,  the  pleasant  champaign, 
and  the  grand  city  of  Madras,  I  could  understand  why  the 
"  Roostum  of  his  Age  "  felt  very  happy.  If  then,  the  ownership 
of  the  fields,  the  strand,  and  the  streets  of  Madras  made  this 
ancient  Ruler  gleeful,  how  proud  should  the  Duke  of  Bucking- 
ham, modern  administrator  of  more  than  the  "  Governor  of 
Realms"  ever  ruled  over,  be  to-day!  Since  the  Maharajah 
has  departed,  Madras  has  increased  in  stateliness  and  beauty. 
Palaces  are  everywhere,  broad  parks  and  sheltered  walks  have 
been  added  to  what  was  already  a  grand  city,  till  the  place 
which  the  Prince  of  Wales  entered  is  as  proud  a  capital  as  may 
be  wished  for. 

Since  the  mainland  was  reached  at  Tuticorin  the  panorama 
which  passed  before  us  of  landscapes,  cities,  and  people  was 
singularly  changeful.  I  do  not  refer  to  an  extraordinary 
passage  which  it  was  the  fate  of  the  special  correspondents  of 
the  London  press  to  make  in  the  Ceylon  Government  steamer 


A   WEEK  IN  MADRAS.  143 

"Nagotna."  Far  be  it  from  my  purpose  to  excite  the  risibility 
of  those  who  sent  us  to  sea  in  a  small  flat-bottomed  steamer, 
160  tons  in  measurement,  in  one  of  the  worst  gales  ever  ex- 
perienced in  the  Gulf  of  Manaar.  How  we  were  thrown  from 
side  to  side  of  the  creaking,  helpless  craft ;  how  the  captain, 
with  a  look  that  Dickens'  ever-memorable  Bunsby  might  have 
envied,  admitted,  on  the  second  night,  that  he  did  not  know 
where  he  was;  how  we  arrived  at  Tuticorin  just  as  his  Royal 
Highness  had  left  for  Madura ;  and  how,  to  gain  a  sight  of  his 
reception  at  Trichinopoly,  we  had  to  avail  ourselves  for  twelve 
miles  of  such  accommodation  as  a  bullock-van  whirled  along  by 
a  special  and  very  powerful  engine  over  a  very  rough,  because 
newly-made,  road  afforded,  need  not  be  dilated  upon.  Suffice  it 
to  say  that  we  did  not  experience  that  keen  enjoyment  which  a 
passage  by  sea  and  a  run  through  one  of  the  most  delightful 
parts  of  Southern  India  would  otherwise  have  afforded. 

In  my  recollection,  however,  there  is  a  curious  spectacle, 
illustrative  of  the  manner  in  which  the  old  and  the  new  eras 
come  continually  into  contact  in  this  strangely  conservative 
land.  Look  at  it  for  a  moment,  and  compare  it  with  the  spec- 
tacle of  the  Prince  of  "Wales'  entry  into  Madras.  The  locale  is 
the  railway  station  at  Trichinopoly.  A  great  crowd  of  natives 
are  on  the  platform;  there  is  an  English  guard  of  soldiers; 
outside  are  half-a-dozen  camels  heavily  laden  with  luggage;  both 
in  and  out  of  the  station  are  some  singularly-attired  sepoys  in 
the  pay  of  the  Princess  of  Tanjore.  These  sepoys  have  huge 
chimney-pot  hats,  clumsily-painted,  black,  old  match-locks,  green 
coats,  no  trousers,  and  a  few  have  boots.  The  band  which 
accompanies  them  has  the  funniest  collection  of  old  brass  instru- 
ments, tom-toms,  and  pipes.  They  are  all  on  the  tiptoe  of  ex- 
pectation, and  drawn  up  in  as  good  order  as  their  notions  of 
drill  will  permit.  Suddenly  a  train  runs  into  the  station  with 
a  centre  saloon  carriage,  through  the  open  windows  of  which 
may  be  seen  a  chieftain  richly  dressed  and  ornamented  with 


144  WITH  THE  PBINCE   IN  INDIA. 

jewels,  and  two  little  boys.  At  the  sight  of  the  train  a  number 
of  native  officials  emerge  from  a  room  on  the  platform,  and 
come  forward  with  heads  bent  low,  as  though  about  to  seek 
audience  of  some  very  distinguished  personage.  The  door  of 
the  saloon  carriage  thereupon  opens,  and  the  Prince — for  it  is 
the  Prime  Minister  and  husband  of  the  Princess  herself — comes 
forward.  A  few  moments'  conversation,  carried  on  with  great 
show  of  condescension  on  the  one  side  and  of  humility  on  the 
other,  ensues,  and  then  some  attendants  bring  to  the  door  of 
the  saloon  a  curious  canopy  of  yellow  brocaded  silk.  Immedi- 
ately the  sepoys  draw  up  to  the  canopy,  and,  while  the  four 
posts  are  being  given  to  four  bearers  and  the  sides  of  the  canopy 
let  fall,  they  take  precautions  that  the  crowd  shall  not  touch  the 
screen.  What  can  be  the  reason  1  A  moment's  enquiry  shows 
that  the  Princess  in  passing  her  capital  desires  to  descend  from 
the  train  for  refreshment,  and  that  the  guard  of  honour  and  the 
assemblage  of  her  chiefs  is  in  recognition  of  her  rank.  Yet  no 
one  on  the  platform  may  see  the  face  of  the  ruler  he  so  greatly 
respects.  He  may  gaze  upon  the  rustling,  yellow,  silk  canopy, 
may  even  note  the  form  of  its  fair  occupant  as  her  Highness 
unconsciously  presses  against  the  hanging  sides ;  but,  however 
much  he  may  esteem  and  reverence  her,  however  great  his  loy- 
alty to  her  dynasty,  he  may  only  be  granted  the  privilege  of  a 
glimpse  of  the  outward  sign  of  Royalty.  So,  too,  when  she  re- 
turns to  the  carriage,  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later,  what  struggling 
of  soldiery  and  canopy-bearers  to  prevent  the  eye  of  the  curious 
from  gazing  upon  the  Royal  lady's  face  !  It  so  chances  that 
they  are  not  so  clever  as  zealous,  and  that  just  as  her  Highness 
is  being  smuggled  up  the  carriage  steps  the  poles  shift  their 
position,  and  the  eyes  and  forehead  of  a  handsome  dame  of 
some  thirty  years  are  for  a  moment  visible.  But  such  a 
glimpse  was  by  no  means  intended.  The  only  Royal  personage 
who  might  be  looked  upon  at  will  at  this  moment  in  Trich- 
inopoly  is  the  son  of  another  Royal  lady — the  Empress  of  India. 


A   WEEK  IN  MADRAS,  145 

Trichinopoly  has  undergone  many  changes  and  witnessed 
many  spectacles.  Yet  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  has  often  been 
the  scene  of  a  more  momentous  event  during  its  singular  his- 
tory than  that  which  took  place  on  Saturday.  As  a  general 
rule  it  has  figured  in  most  of  the  wars  of  the  district.  It  fell  a 
victim  to  the  ever-wandering  Mahrattas  in  1741  ;  a  little  later 
the  Nizam  took  possession  of  it ;  the  French  had  it  next ;  then 
Clive,  after  which  the  Tangerines  held  it  for  a  time.  Eventu- 
ally the  English  came  again,  turned  the  Tangerines  out,  and 
settled  down  with  the  determination  to  remain  masters  of  the 
district  for  ever.  The  result  is  that  a  collectorate  is  established 
there,  that  European  troops  and  native  soldiers  under  European 
officers  parade  its  streets,  that  the  British  flag  flies  on  the 
summit  of  the  Rock,  and  English  laws  are  obeyed  with  prompti- 
tude. 

Never,  however,  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  has  any  representative 
of  English  Royalty  appeared  here.  Trichinopoly  was  accord- 
ingly en  fete  to  receive  the  Prince  on  his  arrival,  and  European 
as  well  as  Native  residents  did  the  best  they  could  to  express 
their  loyalty.  I  may  at  once  note  that  the  chief  characteristic 
of  the  Hindoo,  next  to  his  love  for  chandeliers — in  which 
peculiarity  he  surpasses  all  rivals — is  his  love  of  painting.  He 
has  not  the  slightest  idea  ot  perspective,  his  notions  of  the 
human  form  are  vastly  inferior  to  the  ideas  which  painters  in 
the  time  of  Sennacherib  possessed ;  the  faces  he  draws  are  the 
ugliest  conceivable,  and  the  colours  he  uses  are  the  worst  that 
can  be  found ;  but  for  all  that  he  will  paint  whenever  the  op- 
portunity occurs.  He  paints  the  outside  of  his  house  and  the 
inside  of  his  temples ;  he  bedaubs  the  walls  of  his  garden  if  he 
has  a  garden  wall  to  daub,  and  he  paints  his  neighbour's  wall  if 
he  has  none  of  his  own.  And  when  a  procession — such  as  that 
which  the  Prince  made — takes  place,  he  paints  the  arches  which 
are  erected  with  all  his  energy.  He  did  so  in  honour  of  the 
Royal  visit,  and  the  result  was  a  little  startling.     Scarcely  a 


146  WITH  THE  PBINCE   IN  INDIA. 

house  in  the  place  has  a  roof;  many  dwellings  boast  only  their 
walls  j  old  temples  with  blackened  walls,  dilapidated  palaces, 
and  broken-down  bridges  are  on  every  side.  Here  is  a  pagoda 
surmounted  by  a  cross,  there  a  mosque  without  a  dome — it  is  a 
scene  of  hopeless  desolation. 

Yet  even  these  ruins  are  very  picturesque.  They  are  found 
on  the  banks  of  an  exquisitely  pretty  river,  in  the  centre  of  a 
wide-spreading  and  well-wooded  plain,  superior  to  that  on  which 
Poona  stands ;  and  in  the  centre  of  all  is  a  rock,  which  even  a 
Scotchman  would  allow  to  be  superior  to  Arthur's  Seat.  A 
great  red  mass  of  stone  rises  sharply  from  the  ground  to  a 
harshly-defined  point.  On  the  sides  are  galleries  constructed 
of  white  marble ;  on  the  top  is  a  pillared  structure,  of  great 
massiveness,  but  still  of  singular  elegance,  surmounted  by  a 
flag-staff.  Nothing  else  of  any  height  is  near  it ;  it  rises  about 
five  hundred  feet  in  an  almost  perpendicular  fashion,  sharply 
and  abruptly.  At  a  distance  it  looks  like  a  huge  building,  so 
wonderfully  does  it  shoot  up  from  the  centre  of  the  town,  like 
the  great  Athenian  hill,  though  by  many  feet  its  superior.  At 
its  foot  is  a  bright,  clear  lake,  well  filled  with  water,  and  en- 
compassed by  a  marble  terrace.  And  then,  in  a  wider  circle, 
lies  the  dilapidated,  ruined  town,  and  outside  this  are  the  walls 
that  enclose  the  fort.  The  decorations  consisted  of  such  arches 
as  have  not  hitherto  been  seen  anywhere  else.  I  have  said 
they  were  painted  ;  their  colour  was  black.  Span  and  supports 
alike  were  then  divided  into  spaces  some  two  feet  square,  and 
on  these  panels  native  artists  exercised  their  ingenuity.  At 
Baroda  the  energetic  engineer,  while  encouraging  the  natives  to 
erect  triumphal  trophies,  decidedly  curbed  their  passion  for 
daubing ;  but  at  Trichinopoly  the  peculiarity  was  encouraged. 
As  a  result,  the  streets  exhibited  a  series  of  the  most  extra- 
ordinary pictures  ever  seen.  One  arch  was  covered  with  de- 
lineations of  animals — blue  cats,  green  dogs,  red  tigers,  purple 
lions,  yellow  elephants,  and  snakes  with  heads  like  crabs  and 


A   WEEK  IN  MADRAS.  147 

continuations  like  quadrupeds.  Another  arch  depicted  the 
trades  of  Trichinopoly.  Blue-faced  men  with  pink  hair  were 
hammering,  with  green  hammers,  purple-coloured  gold  bracelets. 
The  other  pictures  of  artisans  were  in  excellent  keeping  with 
this  specimen.  A  third  arch  portrayed  all  the  deities  of  the 
district — Shiva,  Yishnu,  and  the  rest  of  their  pleasant  company. 
I  do  not  know  the  exact  number  of  arms  and  legs  which  each 
particular  god  and  goddess  claims  as  a  right ;  but  I  am  sure 
that  uglier  faces  were  never  portrayed,  and  that  an  English 
painter  would  have  had  some  trouble  in  producing  anything  like 
them.  At  first  I  thought  the  climax  of  caricature  was  reached 
in  what  was  intended  as  a  likeness  of  the  Queen  j  but  later  on 
I  saw  an  arch  which  bore  a  "likeness  "  of  the  Prince,  with  the 
inscription  underneath,  "  His  Royal  Highness  did  come  after 
all,"  and  was  then  obliged  to  admit  that  the  painter  of  that 
picture  had  surpassed  all  his  countrymen. 

The  Hall  of  the  Thousand  Pillars,  at  Srirangam,  is  known 
far  and  wide.  It  is  dedicated  to  that  very  respectable  deity 
Vishnu,  is  the  centre  of  one  of  the  finest  temples  in  India,  is 
surrounded  by  massive  towers,  and  contains  many  precious 
treasures.  A  visit  from  the  Prince  therefore  was  a  certainty, 
and  the  priests  prepared  accordingly.  The  road  along  which  his 
Royal  Highness  had  to  pass  was  exceedingly  beautiful.  Date 
and  cocoanut  palms,  with  almost  every  other  kind  of  tropical 
tree,  overhung  and  shaded  it ;  the  varied  costumes  of  the  peo- 
ple added  to  the  brightness  of  the  scene,  and,  consequently,  the 
drive  was  very  enjoyable.  Arrived  at  the  pagoda,  the  Prince 
was  received  by  the  dignitaries  of  the  temple  with  all  possible 
pomp  and  show.  Old  men  in  long,  white  robes,  accompanied 
by  a  number  of  nautch-girls,  gaudily  dressed,  ornamented  with 
spangles,  rings,  jewels  in  their  hair,  and  wreaths  of  flowers  on 
their  heads,  met  the  Prince  at  the  end  of  a  long  corridor,  and 
conducted  him  to  the  temple,  the  girls  singing  a  low  chant,  and 
Mattering  flowers  on  the  pathway.    In  this  way  the  Royal  party 


148  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

moved  into  a  kind  of  reception  saloon,  where  the  treasures  of 
the  place  were  displayed  on  a  table.  As  usual,  they  were  of 
the  most  varied  and  curious  kinds,  valuable,  apparently,  only 
for  their  weight  as  pieces  of  embossed  gold,  and  for  the  jewels 
which  enriched  them.  No  possible  use,  for  instance,  could  be 
made  of  a  golden  hand  eighteen  inches  long,  and  proportionately 
broad  j  or  of  a  foot  of  even  greater  size.  Nor  were  the  orna- 
ments available  for  personal  decoration,  unless  a  man  felt  in- 
clined to  hang  himself  in  golden  chains,  when  the  assortment 
at  Srirangam  might  be  useful. 

However,  it  was  interesting  to  look  at  these  curiosities;  inter- 
esting also  to  watch  the  countenances  of  the  priests,  as  with  evi- 
dent pride  they  directed  the  attention  of  the  Prince  to  one  article 
after  another;  and  his  Royal  Highness  courteously  waited  till  the 
exhibition  was  concluded  without  the  slightest  sign  of  impati- 
ence. His  patience  may  be  better  understood  when  it  is  known, 
that  in  addition  to  the  delay  already  incurred,  it  was  proposed 
to  read  an  address.  Smilingly  his  Royal  Highness  assented  to 
this  also,  whereupon  an  old  gentleman,  with  a  wonderful  name, 
read  some  mild  platitudes  and  assurances  of  loyalty  with  great 
self-satisfaction.  True  that  the  words  were  engraved  upon  a 
sheet  of  gold.  A  Miss  Kilmansegg  might  have  valued  the 
oration  on  that  account.  But  the  history  of  Trichinopoly 
scarcely  needed  to  be  told  again,  and  we  were  all  very  glad 
when  the  priest  had  done  reading  it. 

The  inspection  of  the  Hall  of  the  Thousand  Pillars  followed, 
and  was  better  appreciated.  As  an  architectural  work  the 
singular  apartment  could  scarcely  be  called  a  triumph.  Half 
the  number  of  pillars,  better  carved  and  more  regularly  arrang- 
ed, would  have  produced  a  better  effect ;  half  that  number 
again  would  have  been  a  further  improvement ;  the  roof  was 
irregular,  the  supports  were  crooked,  and  the  vista  very  defec- 
tive. So  much  for  the  interior.  The  view  from  the  roof,  to 
which  the  Prince  was  presently  taken,  was  good.     Here  the 


A   WEEK  IN  MADRAS.  149 

towers  of  the  temple,  with  their  rich  carving,  were  fully  in 
view,  and  they  repaid  the  trouble  which  the  Prince  had  taken  in 
mounting.  A  few  minutes  were  accordingly  spent  enjoying  the 
prospect,  and  then  the  Royal  visitor  departed. 

All  was  not  over,  however,  even  as  far  as  the  temple  was 
concerned;  for  a  portly  priest,  whose  eyes  twinkled  with  delight 
at  having  been  introduced  to  the  Prince,  proposed  that  the  girls 
should  dance  in  honour  of  the  occasion.  "Whereupon  they 
began  the  low  chant  and  curious  shuffle,  which  I  have  already 
described.  There  was  a  conspicuously  ugly  man  who  sang, 
or,  to  be  more  just,  howled  vigorously.  There  was  a  piper, 
and,  you  may  be  sure,  a  large  gathering  of  spectators.  The 
audience,  in  fact,  seemed  to  spring  out  of  the  ground,  so  sud- 
denly did  it  appear,  and  so  numerously;  In  less  than  a  minute 
there  must  have  been  an  assemblage  of  some  hundreds — men, 
women,  and  children — all  crowding  round  to  see  the  dance. 
Then,  as  though  by  some  preconcerted  signal,  the  great  doors  of 
the  pagoda  opened,  and  in  bundled,  all  together,  helter  skelter, 
a  number  of  elephants,  a  sacred  buffalo  or  two,  a  donkey,  and 
a  great  crowd  of  people  of  all  ages.  The  animals  made  quickly 
for  their  resting-places.  The  people  increased  the  dense  mass 
of  onlookers,  and  we,  to  avoid  suffocation,  struggled  through 
the  perspiring  mass  into  the  open  air,  much  to  the  disappoint- 
ment of  the  chief  of  the  temple,  who  presently  retired  and 
wrote  a  long  letter  of  eight  quarto  pages,  which  he  forwarded 
to  those  who  represented  the  English  press. 

A  far  more  picturesque  spectacle  was  that  afforded  by  the 
rock  when  illuminated  at  night  time.  I  don't  know  that  any 
great  talent  was  needed  to  produce  a  remarkable  effect  in  the 
rugged  outlines  of  the  rock  itself.  The  curious  pagoda  which 
crowns  its  summit,  and  the  buildings  on  its  sides  only  required 
to  be  lighted  up  in  the  most  careless  manner  to  ensure  a  spec- 
tacle worth  looking  at.  The  priests  of  the  temple  on  the  rock 
had,  however,  done  their  utmost  to  render  the  occasion  mem- 


150  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

orable,  and  as  a  result  the  rock  blazed  with  light.  Coloured 
fires  were  lighted  on  each  projecting  point.  Every  line  of  the 
grand  natural  structure  and  of  the  temple  was  marked  by- 
hundreds  of  lamps ;  the  whole  standing  out  against  the  dark 
sky  in  bold  relief.  Daylight  had  scarcely  gone  when  the  Prince, 
attended  by  his  suite,  took  up  his  position  in  a  temporary  build- 
ing erected  opposite  the  rock,  for  the  special  purpose  of  en- 
abling his  Royal  Highness  to  witness  the  illumination  and 
promised  fireworks.  A  huge  silver  throne  had  been  placed  on 
a  dais  under  a  marvellously  worked  canopy  of  gold  and  silver 
foil,  crimson  and  blue  paper,  and  such  like  decorative  material. 
Here  the  Prince  took  his  seat ;  his  suit  ranged  themselves  on 
both  sides  of  him  in  velvet  chairs,  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the 
district  came  in  and  stood  behind  the  Royal  party;  a  band  which 
was  situated  in  the  road  struck  up,  and  then  the  entertainment 
began. 

The  rock  itself  was  simply  magnificent.  The  great  square 
tank  of  water  which  intervened  between  the  Prince  and  the 
temple  was  radiant  with  lamps ;  the  masses  of  red  and  white 
turbaned  people,  the  long  lines  of  troops,  and  the  occupants  of 
the  gardens  were  all  parts  of  a  very  striking  picture.  But  the 
fireworks  were  a  dismal  failure.  It  mattered  little  whether  we 
enjoyed  it  or  not;  the  people  were  delighted  beyond  description, 
and  any  unpleasant  effects  from  the  clouds  of  smoke  which 
filled  the  air  were  more  than  compensated  for  when,  as  was  the 
case  every  now  and  then,  the  noise  ceased  for  a  minute,  the 
vapour  cleared  away,  and  we  saw  the  rock  once  more  blazing 
as  brightly  as  ever.  Once  we  saw  a  cataract  of  fire  falling 
down  one  of  the  crevices  of  the  rock,  and  now  and  then  the 
colours  of  the  lights  changed,  and  the  mountain,  which  was 
bright  red  a  minute  before,  was  suddenly  brilliant  in  bright 
green.  It  was  altogether  a  novel  and  pleasing  sight,  and  one 
which  attracted  the  Prince  for  two  or  three  hours. 

I  do  not  know  how  the  notion  arose,  but  by  some  means 


A   WEEK  IN  MADRAS.  151 

or  other  I  had  come  to  associate  Madras  in  my  mind  with 
almost  all  that  is  objectionable.  In  praise  of  Bombay  whole 
books  had  been  written,  for  Calcutta  there  were  always  plenty 
to  speak ;  but  no  one  to  say  a  good  word  for  Madras.  That 
you  could  not  land  on  its  surf-beaten  shore  without  the  certainty 
of  a  tossing,  and  the  probability  of  a  drenching ;  that  the  Black 
Town  was  as  uninviting  a  spot  as  any  on  earth;  that  its 
climate  was  sultry  and  its  atmosphere  redolent  of  ague  and 
cholera,  everybody  asserted.  Consequently,  when  I  entered 
the  capital  of  the  Southern  Presidency  my  expectations  were 
not  great.  Little  did  I  expect  to  find  a  broad  beach  of  bright 
sand  some  miles  in  length  and  many  yards  in  depth,  with  a 
bright,  blue  sea  in  front,  and  the  prettiest  of  watering-places 
behind.  Nowhere  did  the  Black  Town,  that  great  bugbear  of 
the  city,  obtrude  itself.  There  was  scarcely  anything  to  show 
that  we  were  not  enjoying  a  summer  day's  retreat  on  the  Eng- 
lish coast.  Between  us  and  even  the  English  houses  and 
Government  buildings  for  the  most  part  a  wide  promenade  and 
spacious  gardens  extended.  There  were  English  children  play- 
ing on  the  beach ;  English  ships  of  war  riding  in  the  offing ; 
the  English  flag  was  flying  from  the  flagstaff  of  that  famous  old 
fort  whence  Clive  was  wont  to  sally;  unmistakably  English 
sailors  were  wandering  along  the  shore ;  and  the  heat  for  the 
moment  was  scarcely  more  than  that  of  an  English  July  day. 

Yet  there  were  tokens  that  we  were  not  in  England.  A 
glance  at  the  boats  coming  ashore  revealed  those  most  singular 
crafts,  the  catamarans,  with  their  intrepid  boatmen  and  strange 
cargoes.  Two  pieces  of  wood  fastened  together  somewhat  after 
the  fashion  of  an  open  raft,  and  a  pole  with  a  flat  end,  com- 
pleted the  boat  equipment,  forming  altogether  such  a  water- 
conveyance  as  one  would  scarcely  care  to  travel  in.  The  black 
fisherman,  standing  erect  on  their  extraordinary  craft,  now  rid- 
ing over  the  surf,  and  next  letting  a  heavy  wave  go  over  him, 
could  scarcely  be  found  off  Hastings  or  Eastbourne ;  nor  should 


152  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

we  meet  with  such  a  group  of  coloured  women  engaged  in  dry- 
ing fish  at  either  Aldborough  or  Rhyl.  For  all  that,  the  scene 
is  not  un-English,  and  the  illusion  is  not  altogether  destroyed 
when  we  look  inland.  There  are  beautiful  buildings  such  as 
could  only  have  been  designed  by  English  architects.  There  is 
the  spire  of  an  English  church,  rising  high  in  the  air ;  you 
come  upon  English  shops  immediately  upon  leaving  the  strand, 
and  the  drums  of  your  ears  are  being  rent  by  salutes  from  Eng- 
lish guns.  Of  course  you  can  be  under  no  mistake  when  once 
you  have  crossed  the  park-like  space  which  runs  down  to  the 
shore,  and  enter  the  Black  Town.  You  are  then  in  the  very 
blackest  of  black  places  that  can  be  imagined.  The  marvel  is 
how  the  inhabitants  who  are  crowded  together  within  its  walls 
contrive  to  live  in  such  an  atmosphere  as  they  breathe.  Let 
me  describe  the  sort  of  house  they  dwell  in. 

In  Bombay  two-storied  tenements,  with  great  windows, 
fronted  by  a  brick  terrace  or  seat,  on  which  the  friends  of  the 
shopkeeper  can  squat  and  talk,  form  the  native  bazaar.  In 
Madras,  however,  the  houses  have  only  one  story,  boast  no 
windows  whatever,  and  are  fronted  by  two  terraces,  raised 
about  eighten  inches  above  each  other,  the  door,  which  is  the 
only  mode  of  ingress,  light,  or  ventilation,  being  always  a  very 
subsidiary  consideration.  Along  each  side  of  the  road  runs  a 
broad  gutter,  somewhat  after  the  fashion  which  obtains  in 
Baroda.  Into  this  the  sewage  of  the  town  runs  freely,  with 
such  effect  as  need  not  be  detailed.  On  the  terraces  the  popu- 
lation eat,  drink,  and  sleep.  I  saw  a  school  of  jabbering, 
naked  children  on  one  terace ;  the  school-master  sat  apparently 
fast  asleep  in  their  midst,  while  they  kept  up  a  monotonous 
hubbub  such  as  no  other  children  in  the  world  could  have  sur- 
passed ;  on  another  ledge  there  lay  a  corpse,  over  which  a 
number  of  women — professional  mourners — were  making  loud 
lamentations ;  while  on  a  third  a  lady  of  exceptionally  dirty 
appearance  was  frying  some  cakes  of  dough  and  fat,  coloured 


A   WEEK  IN  MADBAS.  153 

apparently  with  turmeric.  I  did  not  attempt  to  enter  their 
dwellings ;  a  glance  through  the  open  door  showed  that  they 
were  rather  more  objectionable  than  an  ordinary  English  pig- 
stye,  and  almost  as  small.  Nor  was  it  necessary  to  inquire  as 
to  the  actual  prevalence  of  cholera  in  the  town.  If  it  did  not 
exist  just  then,  it  did  very  lately,  and  with  the  return  of  very 
hot  weather  would  probably  appear  again. 

Madras  Races  were  a  great  success.  If  a  drawback  attended 
them  it  was  the  necessity  for  turning  out  at  five  o'clock  in  the 
morning — for,  if  Madras  gets  up  early,  it  has  no  idea  of  going 
to  bed  at  a  reasonable  hour.  No  matter  whether  you  are  for- 
tunate enough  to  dine  at  the  house  of  the  Honourable  Mr.  Ellis, 
the  well-known  member  of  Council — than  whom  I  know  no 
more  genial  host — or  at  the  hospitable  Madras  Club,  famed  for 
its  curries  and  its  balls,  you  cannot  find  your  couch  till  long 
after  midnight  is  past.  The  dinner  at  Madras  is  a  sacred  in- 
stitution, held  in  the  highest  consideration.  Course  follows 
course  with  the  regularity  of  clockwork,  yet  not  with  unseemly 
speed ;  and  by  the  time  that  coffee  and  the  petit  verre  arrive 
your  night  is  gone  and  morning  has  come.  Yet  races  cannot 
be  run  in  a  mid-day  sun,  and  rest  must  therefore  be  deferred. 
Grumble,  however,  though  one  may  very  justly  at  all  this,  the 
scene  on  the  course  more  than  repaid  for  the  trouble  ex- 
perienced in  reaching  it.  Like  their  more  northern  brethren, 
the  Arabs,  the  Hindoos  are  passionately  attached  to  horses.  So 
they  sallied  out  by  thousands  before  even  the  day  broke ;  and 
when  we  reached  the  ground,  had  taken  up  their  positions  all 
along  the  course,  adding  their  coloured  costumes  to  the  bright 
green  of  the  landscape. 

The  course  is  a  long  oval  in  shape,  well  within  view  of  the 
Grand  Stand  all  the  way.  On  this  Stand,  by  a  little  after  six 
o'clock,  the  English  residents  of  Madras  had  assembled,  and  I 
am  bound  to  say  that  their  number  comprised  the  prettiest  bevy 
of  ladies  we  have  yet  met  in  the  East.     But  if  the  ladies  and 

10 


154  WITH  THE  PEINCE  IN  INDIA. 

their  costumes  were  striking,  how  much  more  so  the  native 
chieftains  who  occupied  the  very  centre  of  the  Stand.  There 
were  the  brother  of  the  Rajah  of  Cochin,  grand  in  a  golden  robe 
and  turban ;  the  Rajah  of  Johdpore,  irreverently  named  the 
savage  Rajah,  leaning  on  his  sword  ;  we  missed  for  a  time  the 
Maharajah  of  Vizianagram,  but  in  place  of  him  the  Rajah  of 
Arcot  was  to  be  seen,  umbrella  in  hand,  looking  about  him 
with  great  curiosity.  Then  there  was  a  number  of  minor  poten- 
tates— all  fine  handsome  men,  and  not  boys  like  those  we  saw 
at  Bombay — sitting  amicably  in  the  little  railed-off  space 
appointed  for  native  royalty,  their  countenances  beaming  with 
delight. 

Presently  the  Prince,  accompanied  by  Lord  Alfred  Paget, 
Lord  Charles  Beresford,  Lord  Carington,  Lord  Aylesford,  Major 
Bradford,  and  some  of  the  less  important  members  of  his  staff, 
drove  up,  attended  by  an  escort  of  cavalry.  The  races  at  once 
began.  Gambling  was  not  a  characteristic  of  the  meeting. 
Not  a  betting  man  was  in  sight ;  the  sounds  of  "  Two  to  one" 
or  "  Four  against  the  field"  were  missed.  I  do  not  think  a  bet 
was  made  on  the  course.  Members  of  the  Madras  Club  were 
allowed  to  risk  ten  shillings  in  a  sweepstakes  on  each  race,  de- 
positing cards  in  a  box  which  will  be  opened  on  Christmas  Day ; 
but  beyond  this  you  could  not  stake  a  sixpence.  Many  of  the 
horses,  too,  were  ridden  by  their  owners,  so  that  the  meeting 
partook  very  much  of  the  nature  of  a  series  of  private  races. 
The  Prince  could  and  did  leave  the  seat  provided  for  him,  and 
walk  into  the  saddling  enclosure  without  fear  of  being  mobbed ; 
he  could  chat  with  the  English  residents  and  others  who 
chanced  to  be  near,  while  the  course  was  being  cleared  and  the 
judges  were  taking  their  places.  Everything  was  admirably 
ordered,  even  to  a  refreshment  buffet,  from  which  hot  coffee 
and  tea  with  toast  and  fruit  came  to"  all  who  thought  fit  to 
breakfast  on  the  ground.  Nothing,  in  fact,  could  be  more  en- 
joyable or  satisfactory ;  the  racing  was  good,  the  steeplechasing 


A    WEEK  IN  MADE  AS.  155 

was  better,  and  the  conduct  of  all  present,  if  possible,  better 
still.  Now  and  then  a  funny  incident  occurred.  Wandering 
about  in  the  enclosure,  in  a  disconsolate  manner,  was  a  man 
attired  in  a  very  extraordinary  costume.  His  bearing  was 
that  of  one  disconsolate,  and  enquiry  resulted :  what  did  he 
want — why  his  misery  1  At  length  it  turned  out  that  he  wanted 
to  ride  in  a  race  from  which  the  committee  had  excluded  him 
on  account  of  his  singular  dress.  They  held  that  a  man  in  a 
red  turban,  green  coat,  blue  continuations,  and  white  petticoat, 
was  not  attired  suitably  as  a  jockey;  he  on  his  part  asserted 
that  the  two  horses  he  had  entered  for  two  consecutive  races 
would  beat  everything  else  on  the  ground.  At  last  it  was 
ruled  that  he  should  try,  and  try  he  did  accordingly.  The 
results  to  that  doleful  man  were  conclusive.  The  limping 
animal  he  bestrode  vainly  endeavoured  to  take  part  in  the 
race ;  his  red  turban  was  seen  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  behind 
the  black  and  red  caps  of  his  jockey  competitors,  and  when  at 
leangth  he  did  reach  the  goal,  he  received  such  a  derisive  greet- 
ing from  both  natives  and  Englishmen  that  he  slunk  away 
quickly,  and  was  seen  no  more. 

The  event  of  the  meeting  was  the  Sandringham  Steeplechase, 
for  a  cup  given  by  the  Maharajah  of  Jeypore.  Nine  horses 
were  entered,  Arabs  and  Mysore  breds ;  the  natives  gathered 
at  the  jumps,  and  every  fieldglass  on  the  stand  was  brought 
into  requisition.  I  believe  that  every  soul  on  Madras  Race- 
course would  have  willingly  foregone  all  the  other  races  rather 
than  have  surrendered  that  steeplechase.  Nine  such  horses, 
too,  are  not  often  to  be  found.  There  was  a  veteran  named 
Phantom,  on  whom  an  enthusiastic  sportsman  from  the  Neil- 
gherries  announced  his  readiness  to  stake  his  coat ;  there  was 
a  steed  called  Red  Deer,  ridden  by  a  Captain  Bullen,  on  which 
any  number  of  tickets  were  put  into  the  Pari  Mutuel  box. 
There  were  some  who  would  have  liked  to  risk  five  hundred  in- 
stead of  five  rupees  on  the  pretty  chestnut  owned  and  ridden 


156  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

by  Captain  Bullen.  There  was  a  mare  called  Gazelle,  who 
presently  behaved  very  unlike  the  type  of  swiftness  and  good 
temper,  refusing  absolutely  to  go  to  the  starting  post,  despite 
all  the  efforts  of  her  Hindoo  admirers  to  coax  her.  I  do  not 
think  the  Gazelle  was  heavily  backed  j  her  reputation  was  well 
known,  and  tickets  bearing  her  name  were  not  numerous  in  the 
box.  There  is  always  a  dark  horse  at  such  a  time  about  which, 
though  nobody  knows  much,  there  is  a  good  deal  of  whispering 
and  winking.  We  had  that  horse  at  our  steeplechase;  his 
name  was  Artaxerxes.  The  Prince  was  clearly  anxious  to  see 
the  end,  for  he  left  the  place  of  State  and  bounded  up  to  the 
top  of  the  stand  with  a  readiness  which  spoke  more  for  his 
physical  powers  than  the  longest  possible  certificate  from  Dr. 
Fayrer. 

At  last  eight  horses  were  got  into  position,  the  Gazelle 
having  by  this  time  been  given  up  as  a  bad  job.  Somebody 
said  that  Captain  Bullen's  horse  in  going  to  the  starting  post 
had  suffered  a  tumble ;  but  to  the  relief  of  at  least  a  third  of 
those  on  the  Grand  Stand,  Red  Deer  could  be  seen  mounted 
by  her  gallant  owner  in  rose-coloured  jacket  and  black  cap, 
ready  to  be  off  in  a  moment.  And  off  he  was,  with  all  his 
rivals,  directly  afterwards,  without  a  false  start,  steering  straight 
for  the  first  jump  of  a  good  high  hedge.  On  went  Red  Deer, 
cutting  out  the  pace  in  terrible  fashion,  flying  over  earthen 
walls,  ditches,  hedges,  one  after  another  as  though  Captain 
Bullen  was  a  feather-weight.  The  rest  were  "nowhere ;"  Phan- 
tom was  last  of  all,  and  the  dark  horse  only  just  in  front  of  him. 
The  horses  were  now  approaching  the  water  jump,  about  half 
a  mile  from  home;  it  was  the  crucial  test,  and  their  riders 
knew  it.  A  horse  called  Warwick  suddenly  shot  to  the  front, 
cleared  the  water,  and  then  stopped  as  though  that  leap  was 
the  end  of  the  race.  Phantom  was  not  far  behind — say  about 
fourth.  Red  Deer  was  second.  Then  ensued  a  struggle.  The 
old  favourite  carried  a  heavy  weight,  and  his  rider  strove  in 


A   WEEK  IN  MADRAS.  157 

vain  to  catch  Captain  Bullen  and  Lis  fleet  horse :  yet  the  race 
seemed  to  be  between  them,  and  some  were  calling  for  Phan- 
tom, while  the  majority  shouted  Red  Deer,  when  that  terrible 
dark  horse  with  colours  of  black  and  crimson  forged  ahead  away 
from  the  rear,  passed  the  striving  pair  in  front,  and  cantered  in 
first  as  easily  and  carelessly  as  though  it  had  simply  been  out 
for  a  morning's  exercise,  and  was  just  finishing  an  agreeable 
gallop.  "Artaxerxes!"  screamed  the  crowd.  It  was  quite 
true  ;  Mr.  Taafe,  the  owner,  had  won  by  about  a  dozen  lengths, 
leaving  Red  Deer  and  Phantom  to  finish  in  a  neck-and-neck 
struggle.  This  was  the  last  of  the  sport  j  it  was  nearly  nine 
o'clock,  and  the  Rothesay  Plate,  the  Denmark  Plate,  and  the 
Prince  of  Wales'  Plate,  the  Alexandra  Plate,  and  the  Sand- 
rino-ham  Cup,  all  given  by  native  Rajahs,  in  honour  of  the 
Prince  and  his  home,  were  handed  to  their  winners ;  the  people 
cheered,  as  the  Prince  entered  his  carriage  and  drove  away. 

"  Reception"  is  at  best  a  vague  term.  There  are,  in  ordinary 
life,  cold  receptions  and  warm  receptions;  there  are  formal 
receptions  and  informal  ones ;  and  in  Indian  State  phraseology 
a  "reception"  may  mean  anything.  Hence  the  cards  which 
were  sent  round  by  the  courteous  Major  Hobart,  military  secre- 
tary to  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  and  which  invited  those  who 
were  favoured  to  a  "reception,"  were  subjects  of  some  discus- 
sion. 

A  great  feature  in  apartments  of  all  kinds  built  by  Europeans 
in  India  is  that  they  are  lofty  and  well  ventilated ;  the  recep- 
tion-room at  Madras  is  no  exception  to  the  rule.  A  fine  saloon, 
admirably  lit,  decorated  with  paintings  of  some  merit,  fitted  up 
with  a  dais  at  one  end,  and  a  prettily-arrranged  orchestral 
stand  at  the  other,  was  the  place  in  which  the  Duke  of  Buck- 
ingham met  his  guests.  From  one  wing  the  fire-works,  for 
which  Madras  had  paid  £1,000,  could  be  seen  to  advantage;  in 
the  other  a  refreshment  buffet  offered  attractions  which  resi- 
dents in  India  well  appreciate.     Inside  the  hall  the  Prince  was 


158  WITS  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

already  on  the  dais,  attended  by  his  suite,  when  ten  o'clock 
struck;  the  orchestra  was  singing  a  chorale  of  no  ordinary 
merit,  composed  in  honour  of  his  Royal  Highness,  and  in  com- 
memoration of  his  visit.  The  space  between  was  occupied  by 
ladies  and  gentlemen  in  evening  dress,  officers  in  uniform,  a 
number  of  the  Rajahs  at  present  in  Madras,  and  their  principal 
chieftains*  Sometimes  some  one  more  noteable  than  the  rest 
was  taken  to  the  dais,  and  presented  to  the  Prince.  Occasion- 
ally his  Royal  Highness,  recognising  some  one  whom  he  had 
seen  before,  descended  to  the  floor,  and  honoured  the  indi- 
vidual with  a  word  of  greeting.  All  the  advantages  of  a  pri- 
vate gathering — for  everybody  knew  everybody  else — with  all 
the  grandeur  of  a  State  ceremonial  were  there ;  and  if  anything 
is  remembered  with  satisfaction  during  the  visit  of  the  Prince — 
and  I  think  the  arrangements  have  been  very  satisfactory — it 
must  surely  be  this  "  Reception."  Midnight  was  long  past 
before  the  carriages  were  called  for  and  the  guests  separated, 
and  we  then  went  to  our  respective  destinations,  through  long 
lines  of  illuminated  streets,  lit  by  oil  lamps  arranged  in  all 
kinds  of  devices,  with  mottoes  of  the  usually  loyal  description. 

In  a  city  so  famous  for  jugglers,  snake-charmers,  acrobats, 
and  chevaliers  oVindusirie  generally,  ladies  and  gentlemen  who 
live  by  their  wits,  in  the  most  proper  sense  of  the  word,  and 
who  apparently  make  a  very  good  living,  it  was  scarcely  likely 
that  the  Prince  of  Wales  would  be  permitted  to  stay  long  with- 
out witnessing  the  feats  of  skill  for  which  these  wandering 
Madrassees  are  celebrated.  The  Thursday  of  the  week  of  his 
stay  being  a  comparatively  open  day,  therefore,  the  morning 
was  selected  for  an  alfresco  exhibition  of  this  kind.  The  town 
lost  the  nomads,  Government  House  gardens  received  them. 

Amongst  them  was  a  savage  who  appeared  to  make  the  dried 
skin  of  a  cobra  live.  It  is  a  favourite  trick — you  may  see  it 
done  twenty  times  a  day  in  the  streets  of  Madras.  You  may 
examine  the  apparatus  closely  every  time  and  watch  the  oper- 


A   WEEK  IN  MADRAS.  159 

ation  as  carefully  as  you  please,  yet  you  cannot  detect  the 
modus  operandi.  The  performer  hands  you  a  little,  flat,  wicker 
basket,  some  eight  inches  in  diameter,  and  asks  you  to  inspect 
it,  while  he  folds  the  cobra  skin,  which  you  have  previously  well 
examined,  into  a  square,  leaving  only  the  tail  unfolded.  So 
soon  as  you  have  given  the  basket  back,  the  juggler  places  it  on 
the  ground  in  full  view,  and  under  the  lid  puts  the  folded  part 
of  the  serpent's  skin,  the  tail  being  in  your  sight  all  the  while. 
You  may,  at  this  stage,  lift  the  lid  once  more  to  see  that 
nothing  but  the  serpent's  skin  is  in  the  basket,  after  which  you 
must  rest  content.  A  white  cloth  is  taken  by  the  man  and 
placed  over  the  basket,  after  having  been  well  shaken  so  that 
you  may  be  assured  nothing  is  in  it.  A  pipe  is  produced,  and 
with  it  a  horrible  noise,  similar  to  that  always  made  by  snake- 
charmers,  and  not  unlike  the  sound  a  cracked  and  badly  made 
bagpipe  would  emit,  is  made.  No  one  goes  near  the  cloth  or 
basket,  except  the  almost  naked  man,  who  cannot  possibly  hide 
any  live  snake  in  his  sleeves,  for  the  simple  and  sufficient  reason 
that  he  has  neither  sleeves  nor  jacket,  nor,  indeed,  any  other 
kind  of  clothing  than  a  small  waistcloth,  which  would  certainly 
be  a  most  inconvenient  hiding-place  for  a  lively  young  cobra. 
The  sheet  is  lifted,  you  look  at  the  basket  and  see  the  tail  of  a 
living  snake  being  gradually  drawn  into  it,  and  on  the  lid  being 
opened  a  most  distinctly  energetic  serpent  is  discovered.  No 
sooner  is  it  stirred  than  it  rises  on  its  tail,  spreads  out  its  hood, 
and  strikes  with  its  fangs  and  tongue  at  the  charmer.  No  one 
would  care  to  examine  that  basket  now  with  a  cobra  four  feet 
long,  making  vicious  snaps  at  the  juggler.  The  charmer  takes 
good  care  that  the  snake  comes  near  you,  for  with  a  dexterous 
movement  he  seizes  the  reptile  by  the  head,  and  holding  it  in 
one  hand  comes  to  you  with  his  basket  in  the  other,  while  you 
put  a  rupee  into  the  receptacle,  if  only  to  induce  him  to  go 
away. 
.     The  snake  gone,  a  stout,  strong  girl  comes  forward,  makes  a 


160  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

deep  obeisance,  and  then  stepping  back  throws  a  man  weighing 
fully  11  st.  over  her  shoulders.  Nor  does  she  stop  here,  for  she 
seizes  her  victim  once  more,  places  him  crossways  on  her  back, 
and  then  tosses  him  into  the  air  as  though  he  were  made  of 
feathers,  and  not  a  broad-shouldered  human  being.  Turning 
backwards  on  her  feet,  she  picks  up  straws  with  her  eye-lids, 
throws  somersaults  and  lifts  weights  which  would  astonish  the 
ordinary  London  acrobat.  While  she  is  thus  performing, 
jugglers  are  changing  pebbles  into  birds,  birds  into  eggs,  and 
eggs  into  plants ;  men  thread  beads  with  their  tongues,  join 
innumerable  pieces  of  cotton  into  one  long  cord,  keep  half-a-score 
of  sharp  knives  in  the  air  at  once,  throw  cannon  balls  with  their 
toes,  and  spin  tops  on  the  end  of  twigs.  Pandemonium  reigns, 
the  clatter  is  unbearable,  and  one  is  compelled,  as  was  the 
Prince,  to  dismiss  the  tribe  of  vagrants  without  further  delay. 
Supposing  the  visit  of  the  Prince  to  result  anywhere  in  the 
commencement  of  works  of  utility,  as  it  has  already  in  most  of 
the  places  his  Royal  Highness  has  touched  at,  the  working 
population  of  India  will  have  cause  to  be  permanently  grateful. 
Foundation  stones  of  asylums  and  hospitals,  inaugurations  of 
railways,  and  memorial  stones  of  breakwaters  and  harbours,  all 
tend  to  the  employment  of  thousands,  and,  as  such,  should  un- 
doubtedly be  valued.  But  at  Madras  the  work  begun  was 
peculiarly  useful.  It  will  not  only  be  the  means  of  transferring 
rupees  and  annas  from  the  pockets  of  the  trading  community  to 
the  waistcloths  of  the  estimable  artisans  of  the  Black  Town, 
but  it  will  be  a  "joy  for  ever"  to  the  thousands  of  travellers 
who  in  years  to  come  have  to  land  at  Madras.  It  would  re- 
quire the  most  devoted  attachment  to  ancient  customs  for  any- 
one to  reason  that,  because  for  ages  it  has  been  the  fashion  to 
get  a  drenching  in  the  surf  before  the  esplanade  at  Madras  is 
reached,  it  would  be  well  to  continue  the  custom ;  and  as  the 
inhabitants  of  this  city  are  by  no  means  wedded  to  antiquity, 
it  was  suggested  that  a  harbour  should  be  constructed,  and  that 
the  Prince  should  lay  the  first  stone. 


A  WEEK  IN  MADBAS.  161 

How  admirably  the  ceremony  was  managed  may  be  told  in  a 
very  lew  words.  Everything  was  arranged  on  the  principle  that 
"silence  is  golden,"  a  maxim  which  other  places  the  Prince  has 
yet  to  visit  would  do  well  to  bear  in  mind.  The  stone  was  hung 
in  its  place  under  a  frame  prettily  decorated,  a  cloth  covered 
with  the  plans  of  the  harbour  was  laid  upon  a  table,  while  the 
mortar-board  and  trowel  were  arranged  so  that  as  soon  as  his 
Royal  Highness  should  arrive  the  formality  of  fixing  the  stone 
might  be  got  through  expeditiously.  The  ladies  were  ranged 
in  tiers  of  seats  on  either  side  of  the  stone ;  in  front  were  two 
other  stands  for  less  distinguished  persons,  troops  lined  the 
road,  and  the  preparations  were  complete.  The  people  and  the 
sea  filled  in  the  picture,  and  a  strikingly  pretty  one  it  was.  In 
sight  of  everybody  the  foam  on  the  shore  and  the  huge  waves 
breaking  over  tossed  and  tossing  catamarans  supplied  an  ever- 
recurring  reason  for  the  enterprise.  All  along  the  line  of  route 
tens  of  thousands  of  people  testified  to  the  interest  with  which 
the  work  was  regarded. 

It  was  a  different  crowd  from  what  we  had  seen  anywhere 
else.  The  Mahratta  turban  in  which  the  native  of  Bombay 
delights  could  nowhere  be  seen ;  the  hideous  Parsee  headdress 
was,  greatly  to  our  relief,  absent,  too-j  nor  could  the  Cingalese 
comb  be  discovered  anywhere ;  the  full  Madras  turban,  some- 
times red  and  sometimes  white,  frequently  trimmed  with  gold, 
and  always  cleverly  made,  was  almost  the  only  kind  of  head- 
dress. But  if  the  turbans  were  not  of  a  very  varied  hue — if 
the  pink,  green,  blue,  and  yellow  of  the  Mahratta  were  want- 
ing, there  was  plenty  of  colour  after  all.  A  pleasant  practice 
of  staining  the  face  bright  yellow  is  much  in  favour  with  the 
native  dames  and  damsels  of  Madras.  Most  of  the  men  wear  a 
device  in  white  and  red  on  their  foreheads  as  a  token  of  piety. 
There  are  as  many  shades  of  difference  in  the  skins  of  the 
dwellers  on  the  Coromandel  coast  as  could  be  found  between 
Nubia  and  Italy,  and  the  dresses  which  are  worn  on  high  days 


162  WITH  THE  PBINCE  IN  INDIA. 

and  holidays  boast  every  hue  of  the  rainbow.  As  they  packed 
themselves  together  to  await  the  coming  of  the  Prince,  the 
women  grouped  by  hundreds,  the  men  in  similar  numbers,  the 
front  rank  seated  on  the  ground,  those  behind  kneeling,  while 
the  rearmost  of  all  stood  up  and  peered  over  the  heads  of  the 
others,  they  formed  a  vast  and  iar-extending  mass,  to  see  which 
a  journey  of  even  eleven  thousand  miles  was  not  too  much. 
Every  now  and  then  carriages  containing  Bajahs  and  Maha- 
rajahs  is  picturesque  costumes,  escorted  by  the  Governor's  body- 
guard in  bright  scarlet  and  gold  uniforms,  and  followed  by  par- 
ties of  their  own  wild-looking  horsemen,  drove  past ;  and  at 
last  the  Prince  himself  came,  cheered  vociferously  by  the  crowd. 
The  spreading  of  the  mortar  and  the  lowering  of  the  stone 
occupied  the  slightest  possible  time,  and  before  most  ceremonies 
would  have  begun  this  was  over,  and  the  Prince  well  on  his 
way  back  to  Government  House. 

Old  Indians  will,  however,  ask  one  question,  which  must 
perforce  be  answered — what  of  the  Madras  Club  ball  1  For  of 
all  the  clubs  in  India  that  of  Madras,  at  once  the  oldest  and 
widest  known,  is  held  to  be  the  best.  In  competition  with  it 
are  the  famous  Byculla  Club  at  Bombay,  and  the  Bengal  Club 
at  Calcutta ;  but  these  are  held  by  the  men  of  Southern  India 
to  be  inferior  to  the  famous  home  of  curries.  Such  high  claims 
bring  with  them  high  obligations.  It  is  not  enough  to  boast  of 
being  the  best;  it  is  necessary  to  prove  it.  If  the  Madras 
Club  understands  anything,  however,  it  is  the  art  of  good  liv- 
ing. Let  others  boast  larger  billiard-rooms  or  finer  libraries ; 
the  Madras  Club  places  side  by  side  with  these  advantages,  for 
the  judgment  of  the  thoughtful  and  the  hungry,  the  best  dinner 
in  India,  in  the  handsomest  dining-room.  For  several  days 
past  the  Club  had  been  turned  upside  down  for  the  purpose  of 
decoration  and  preparation.  The  dining-saloon  was  converted 
into  a  ball-room,  the  library  became  a  drawing-room,  and  the 
whole  magnificent  building  was  lit  up  with  lamps,  and  wreathed 


A   WEEK  IN  MADRAS.  163 

with  foliage  and  flowers.  From  the  time  that  the  arrival  of  a 
funny  little  captain  was  mistaken  for  that  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  and  honoured  by  the  formation  of  a  long  lane  down  the 
room,  soon  to  be  closed  amid  a  peal  of  laughter,  to  half-past  two 
o'clock,  when  the  Prince  left,  everything  was  the  very  perfec- 
tion of  enjoyment.  Wherever  a  corner  could  be  found,  dancers 
availed  themselves  of  it,  covering  not  only  the  floor  of  the  ball- 
room itself,  but  the  passage  which  ran  between  it  and  the 
library,  and  extending  into  this  last-named  room  itself.  Nor 
was  this  difficult,  for  wide  archways  united  the  three  into  one, 
and  from  any  given  point  the  whole  could  be  seen.  At  the 
supper  the  Madras  Club  held  its  own  bravely,  vindicating  its 
claim  to  be  the  best  of  providers ;  and  so  the  ball  was  a  grand 
success,  and  one  of  which  the  Club  and  the  city  are  alike  proud. 
The  capital  of  the  Presidency  did  well ;  and  the  encomium 
which  the  Prince  passed  on  the  ball  extends  to  all  that  has 
been  achieved  during  the  week  that  was  spent  at  Madras. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

INDIAN   AMUSEMENTS. 

It  is  the  old  air  of  "Bonnie  Dundee."  At  first  you  could 
scarcely  recognize  it.  The  six  semi-frantic  Hindoo  musicians 
who  are  performing  on  a  discordant  violin,  a  pipe,  a  tom-tom, 
and  some  conch  shells,  make  a  fearsome  noise ;  but  now  and 
then  the  old  tune  crops  up  for  a  bar  or  two,  though  it  "  crops" 
down  for  a  good  many  bars  directly  afterwards.  Were  sturdy 
old  Claverhouse  here,  he  would  make  short  work  of  such  min- 
strel boys  with  that  claymore  of  his.  It  is  enough  to  make  the 
blood  of  a  Scotchman  tingle  again.  Yet  listening  patiently, 
and  even  smilingly,  to  this  terrible  burlesque  of  the  good  stirrup 
song,  is  the  Prince  of  Wales,  Duke  of  Eothesay,  and  Lord  of 
the  Isles,  surrounded  and  supported  by  a  hundred  Scotch  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  to  say  nothing  of  two  or  three  hundred  English 
residents  of  Madras,  and,  at  least,  four  thousand  native  gentle- 
men. Perhaps  the  peculiarity  of  the  occasion  may  account  for 
this  extraordinary  placidity  under  such  very  irritating  circum- 
stances.    Let  us  see  where  we  are,  and  judge  for  ourselves. 

In  a  great  hall,  some  five  hundred  feet  long,  and  a  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  broad,  are  gathered  together  the  rank  and  fashion, 
native  and  European,  of  the  Presidency  of  Madras.  English  offi- 
cers in  scarlet  rub  shoulders  with  aged  Mohammedans  dressed 
in  white  and  gold.  European  ladies  sit  next  to  young  Tamil 
beaux;  Hindoo  princes  and  chieftains,  who  probably  never 
heard  of  each  other  before,  fill  every  line  of  chairs  on  a  raised 
dais.  French  and  English  naval  officers  hob-nob  at  a  refresh- 
ment buffet,  the  bright  glasses  of  which  can  be  seen  through 
their  muslin  curtains,  partially  looped  up,  collectors  of  districts, 


INDIAN   AMUSEMENTS.  165 

and  the  people  who  have  to  pay  the  taxes,  all  are  here  decked 
out  in  full  dress.  In  the  centre  of  the  dais,  which,  by  the  way, 
is  on  the  right  centre  of  the  room,  sits  the  Prince  of  Wales,  on 
a  golden  throne.  His  suite  are  clustered  behind  him.  On  his 
left  is  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  in  the  fall  uniform  of  a  Gov- 
ernor of  Madras ;  on  his  right  Mrs.  Shaw  Stewart  and  the  Maha- 
rajah of  Travancore,  who,  by  the  bye,  is  just  such  another  quick- 
eyed  little  gentleman  as  Sir  Madava  Rao,  of  Baroda ;  also  the 
Maharajah  of  Vizianagram,  and  the  Prince  of  Arcot,  all  glitter- 
ing with  diamonds,  rubies,  emeralds,  and  gold.  On  either  side 
of  the  Prince,  below  the  dais,  is  a  great  sea  of  upturned  faces ; 
in  front  of  his  Royal  Highness  is,  first  of  all,  a  little  table, 
bearing  an  immense  gold  casket,  the  lid  of  which  is  surmounted 
by  a  silver  tiger,  then  an  open  raised  platform,  in  the  centre  of 
which  hang  a  dozen  coloured  ropes,  fastened  together  at  the 
top ;  while  farther  back  still  is  a  stage,  on  which  are  squatted 
some  fifty  natives,  male  and  female,  all  attired  in  the  most 
fantastic  fashion  ;  a  screen  fastened  to  the  wall  in  rear  of  them 
depicting  a  jungle  scene  and  a  springing  tiger.  As  your  eye 
wanders  round  the  building  you  notice  that  the  roof  is  one  of 
extraordinary  beauty,  ornamented  with  flowers,  stars,  circles, 
and  all  kinds  of  devices  by  the  artists,  evidently  of  Tanjore. 
The  gold,  silver,  and  crimson  foil  in  this  remarkable  ceiling,  as 
well  as  on  the  sides  of  the  pillars  which  support  it,  glitter  and 
glisten  in  the  light  which  scores  of  chandeliers  throw  upon 
them ;  but  more  than  ever  when  flashes  of  limelight  thrown 
from  four  points  in  the  building  hurl  a  dazzling  gleam  across 
the  hall.  You  might  perchance  wish  that  the  gentlemen  who 
have  charge  of  the  latter  knew  how  to  manage  it,  and  that  they 
would  not  blind  you  at  one  moment  and  leave  you  in  compara- 
tive darkness  the  next,  but  you  must  not  complain. 

This  is  a  native  entertainment  given  to  the  Prince,  managed 
by  natives  from  the  doors  to  the  limelights,  in  a  place  with  a 
very  native  name — to  wit,  Royapooram — having  for  its  chief 


166  WITS  THE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

entrance  a  door  leading  into  a  way  called  in  native  parlance 
Thumboo  Chetty,  decorated  by  natives,  arranged,  controlled, 
and  now  almost  filled  Vy  natives.  The  programme  promises 
an  entirely  native  performance,  the  presentation  of  a  native 
casket,  Kolattam  or  Plait  dances,  concerted  pieces  on  the 
Saranthe  Sit  tar,  Vina  and  Dol,  and  a  native  drama  in  four 
acts.  You  might  wish  that  the  native  plan  of  smiling  and 
making  a  present  quickly  had  been  pursued  in  regard  to  that 
casket,  instead  of  a  tedious  imitation  of  that  most  trying  of  all 
customs,  the  presentation  of  an  address ;  but  this  is  an  innova- 
tion insisted  upon  by  the  long- robed,  red-turbaned  gentlemen 
who  flock  up  to  the  dais  just  before  the  band  strikes  up,  and 
read  and  stand  in  front  of  the  Prince;  while  one  of  their 
number,  happy  man,  reads  a  long  rigmarole,  of  which  we  can- 
not hear  even  the  purport  were  we  so  disposed.  Of  course  the 
Prince  replies  pleasantly,  as  is  his  wont,  using  almost  the  same 
words,  however,  as  have  been  put  into  his  lips  twenty  times 
already ;  and  then  the  entertainment  begins. 

Looking  at  the  matter  from  a  purely  metaphysical  point  of 
view,  it  may,  perhaps,  be  conceded  that  not  only  lights,  but 
even  shades,  are  advantageous  in  our  pleasures.  The  easy  chair 
which  suddenly  discovers  a  broken  spring,  the  comfortable  cot 
which  presently  lets  you  down  on  the  hard  deck  below,  the  buck- 
jumping  horse,  and  even  a  voyage  like  that  in  the  "Nagotna," 
all  have  their  useful  lessons,  all  aid  to  make  unalloyed  pleasures 
the  more  appreciated.  Viewed  thus,  the  native  entertainment 
was  a  complete  success.  It  was  in  itself  the  most  dismal  and 
trying  performance  ever  witnessed,  yet  the  memory  of  the 
misery  endured  during  its  continuance  may  tend  to  make  those 
who  sat  in  that  tinselled  hall,  from  nine  in  the  evening  till  two 
the  next  morning,  a  little  less  captious  in  future. 

But  while  I  digress  the  music,  if  music  it  can  be  called,  is 
going  on,  and  "  Bonnie  Dundee  "  on  pipes  and  tom-toms,  conch 
she])    and  fiddle,  is  being   murdered.     At  last  a  dozen  girls, 


INDIAN    AMUSEMENTS.  167 

strangely  attired,  come  away  from  the  throng  squatted  down  in 
front  of  the  screen,  and  walk  up  to  the  coloured  ropes.  Unlike 
the  celebrated  lady  of  Banbury  Cross,  they  have  not  only  "  rings 
on  their  fingers  and  bells  on  their  toes,"  but  they  have  rings, 
great  pearl-adorned  rings  in  their  noses,  rings  in  their  ears, 
rings  of  bells  on  their  ankles,  and  wreaths  of  flowers  on  their 
heads.  Strictly  speaking,  not  one  of  them  can  be  styled  pretty ; 
their  features  are  regular  and  their  forms  fairly  good,  but  these 
beauties  of  Madras,  selected  on  account  of  their  personal  at- 
tractions to  dance  before  the  Prince,  are  neither  .graceful  in  ap- 
pearance nor  lithe  in  movement.  Their  dress,  which  could  not 
be  more  resplendent,  so  entirely  covered  is  it  with  gold,  silver, 
and  jewels,  has  a  cumbersome  look  about  it  which  by  no  means 
adds  to  the  facility  of  motion,  and  the  long  red  trousers  which 
each  damsel  wears  hang  in  a  slovenly  manner  over  the  naked 
feet,  and  occasionally  impede  the  danseuse  in  the  very  midst  of 
her  steps.  Still  it  must  not  be  denied  that  these  nautch  girls 
are  picturesque  in  appearance.  Their  long  black  hair,  worn  in 
plaited  tresses,  their  olive-coloured  skins  and  great  white  eyes, 
their  curious  costume,  and  their  wonderful  ornaments,  lend 
them  in  the  flashing  lime-light  a  fictitious  weirdness  which  the 
three  witches  whom  Macbeth  saw  might  have  sighed  for  in 
vain.  And  when  they  seize  each  a  coloured  rope,  and  to  the 
tune  of  that  extraordinarily  rendered  "  Bonnie  Dundee"  fly 
round  in  a  frantic  dance,  twirling  in  and  out  and  backwards 
and  forwards,  till  the  ropes  are  all  twisted  and  they  are  brought 
close  together,  and  then,  with  more  dancing,  unravelling  what 
appeared  to  be  a  very  Gordian  knot,  and  so  gradually  bring- 
ing the  ropes  into  their  first  order,  you  have  good  cause  for 
wondering,  and,  were  they  to  stop  now,  reason  to  be  pleased. 

But  neither  the  dancers  nor  the  conch-shell  players  have  any 
idea  of  ceasing  yet,  and  the  girls  occasionally  joining  in  the 
chant,  hop  and  skip  and  twirl  till  you  are  giddy  with  looking 
on,  and  long  for  an  end  of  the  Kolattam.    You  are,  however, 


168  WITH  THE  PEINCE  IN  INDIA. 

in  the  hands  of  a  stolid  old  gentleman  in  a  long  green  gown  and 
a  great  purple  turban,  who  occasionally  looks  at  the  dancers 
and  then  at  the  Prince,  a  look  of  honest  delight  and  pride  beam- 
ing through  his  great  round  spectacles  as  he  says  most  unmis- 
takably by  his  self-satisfied  grin,  "  See  what  a  tremendous 
discord  they  can  make,  and  how  admirably  they  can  keep  it 
up."  They  do  "  keep  it  up"  for  nearly  an  hour,  during  which 
many  Europeans  enjoy  a  nap — the  most  wakeful,  and  certainly 
the  most  graciously  patient,  being  the  Prince  himself.  At  last 
the  purple-robed  stage-manager  finds  his  troupe  exhausted, 
whereupon  he  orders  forward  a  fresh  supply  of  players,  and  a 
celebrated  nautch-girl  named  Gnyana  who  is  to  dance  a  Carnatic 
pas  seul. 

I  need  not  describe  the  appearance  of  this  damsel.  Had  her 
charms  only  equalled  her  excessive  vanity  and  astonishing 
powers  of  endurance,  we  might  not  have  objected  possibly  to 
her  prolonged  gyrations.  Nor  would  the  everlasting  drumming 
on  conch  shells,  tom-tomming,  pipe-playing,  and  fiddle-scraping 
which  accompanied  her  movements  have  been  so  unbearable  as 
they  presently  became  had  they  not  been  accompanied  by  the 
hideous  noise  which  the  six  players  were  good  enough  to  call 
singing.  I  have  said  something  about  Hindoo  music,  how  it  is 
all  that  we  hold  to  be  most  objectionable  in  England,  exagger- 
ated to  the  utmost  extent  of  human  power.  The  principal 
vocalist  of  the  six,  this  time,  was  the  most  terrible  of  his  class. 
All  of  them  dispensed  with  the  nose  in  singing  ;  he  did  without 
nose  or  mouth  either,  and  sang  apparently  from  the  pit  of  his 
stomach,  sending  a  volume  of  sound  up  his  open  throat  that 
completely  astonished  even  experienced  Anglo-Indians.  And 
as  for  power  of  lungs,  he  must  have  borrowed  a  pair  of  bellows 
from  Vulcan  to  have  maintained  such  a  howl  for  so  long  a  time 
as  he  did.  In  a  feeble  way  his  companions  attempted  to  ac- 
company him,  and  occasionally  the  girl  ceased  her  dancing,  and 
yelled  at  the  top  of  her  voice  too ;  but  he  needed  no  assistance, 


INDIAN  AMUSEMENTS.  169 

the  pair  of  conch  sheila  he  clapped  together  and  his  incompar- 
able windpipe  did  all  that  was  necessary,  and  it  needed  the  most 
frantic  efforts  of  Jhe  tom-tom  beater  to  create  the  slightest  im- 
pression. We  could  see  the  fiddler  playing  as  though  he  had 
orders  to  go  at  a  rate  of  a  hundred  strokes  a  minute  and  was 
working  against  time,  but  the  result  of  his  efforts  troubled  us  not, 
we  could  see  the  pipe-player's  dark  face  getting  darker  still  as 
he  fought  despairingly  against  the  man  with  the  voice ;  but  whe- 
ther he  was  going  on  with  "Bonnie  Dundee"  or  giving  a  selection 
from  "Weber,  we  never  knew.  All  was  swallowed  up  by  that 
man  in  the  white  turban  and  long  white  gown.  His  face  worked 
convulsively,  his  body  bowed  and  bent ;  he  would  lean  forward 
and  then  backward;  throw  his  arms  frantically  into  the  air,  and 
then  turn  round  upon  his  comrades  as  though  he  could  remon- 
strate with  them  if  only  he  dared  stop  shouting  for  a  moment — 
without  wearying  or  pausing,  much  less  stopping.  And  the 
strangest  thing  was  that  the  natives  smiled  and  gibbered  as 
though  they  were  being  pleasingly  enchanted  by  the  soft  song 
of  a  syren.  As  for  the  manager  of  the  stage,  he  was  simply 
beside  himself  with  joy,  and  nodded  his  head  with  satisfaction 
till  his  spectacles  tumbled  on  to  the  floor. 

I  do  not  know  how  the  Prince  went  through  that  trying 
ordeal.  He  said,  I  was  afterwards  told  by  an  enthusiastic 
native,  that  he  was  very  much  astonished,  and  no  doubt  he 
was;  but  nothing  except  his  most  imperturbable  good  humour 
could  have  carried  him  through  it.  Yet  he  continued  to  look 
pleased  as  the  girl  squatted  down,  and  jumped  up,  turned 
round  with  one  arm  raised,  and  then  strutted  up  to  the  edge  of 
the  Royal  dais ;  or,  moving  backwards  on  her  heels,  joined  her 
screeching  companions  and  helped  them  to  "sing;"  although 
for  more  than  an  hour  she  continued  the  same  monotonous 
movement,  and  the  musicians  the  same  wonderful  noise,  the 
Prince  neither  remonstrated,  nor  for  a  moment  looked  weary. 
At  length,  as  it  was   now  getting  far  into  the  morning  and 

u 


170  WITH  THE  PEINCE  IN  INDIA. 

there  were  five  other  pieces  on  the  programme,  the  old  gentle- 
man in  purple  essayed  to  stop  the  Carnatic  dame,  and  this,  after 
much  rebellious  conduct  on  the  part  of  the  white-turbaned 
singer,  he  was  enabled  to  do. 

So  soon  as  Gnyana  and  her  companions  could  he  moved  off,  a 
fresh  set  of  musicians  accompanied  another  and  a  darker  girl  to 
the  foot  of  the  dais,  and  then  squatted  down,  while  she,  sitting 
in  their  midst,  began  a  "Vinah"  solo.  Apparently  this  was 
too  much  for  the  Prince,  and  she  had  not  squealed  and  beaten 
a  tom-tom  which  was  placed  in  front  of  her  more  than  ten 
minutes  when  the  Prince  bowed,  rose,  and  led  Mrs.  Stewart  to 
supper.  This  was  a  signal  for  the  Vinah  solo  to  stop,  and  for 
another  batch  of  Kolattam  or  Plait  dancers  to  gather  round  the 
coloured  ropes ;  but  when  the  Prince  presently  came  back,  he 
stayed  for  a  few  moments  only  and  then  took  his  departure.  I 
never  heard  whether  the  programme  was  continued  afterwards 
— whether  the  song  by  Krishna,  the  concerted  piece,  or  the 
drama  in  four  acts,  were  even  attempted.  If  so,  and  each 
occupied  the  time  of  that  Carnatic  dance,  they  must  be  going 
on  now.  I  had  already  determined  that  at  what  time  I  heard 
the  Saranthe,  Sittar,  Vinah,  and  Dol,  I  would  call  for  my  car- 
riage and  set  out  on  the  five  miles'  journey  which  lay  before 
me ;  but  the  departure  of  the  Prince  stifled  any  scruples  which 
a  strict  adherence  to  the  demands  of  etiquette  previously  re- 
quired, and  in  company  with  the  rest  of  the  European  portion 
of  the  audience,  I  quitted  the  Poyapooram  Hall. 

While  in  this  city  the  Prince  of  Wales  paid  a  visit  to  the 
Madras  Club,  and  there  tasted  some  thirteen  curries  and  eight 
chutnies ;  his  cook  also  had  lessons  in  the  Club  kitchen,  with  a 
view  to  introducing  the  best-made  curry  into  the  Marlborough 
House  cuisine.  The  record  of  Madras  loyalty  and  hospitality, 
therefore,  fitly  closes  here. 


CHAPTEE  XV. 

THE   PRINCE   IN    BENGAL. 

Three  times  the  Prince  of  Wales  landed  on  Indian  soil — first 
of  all  at  Bombay ;  next  at  Tuticorin,  the  most  southerly  part 
of  the  Peninsula;  and  lastly  at  Calcutta,  the  capital  of  the 
Empire  and  the  seat  of  the  Viceroy  of  India. 

Let  us  transport  ourselves  at  once  to  the  landing-place,  at 
Prinseps  Ghaut,  where  on  Christmas  Eve  the  entry  of  the 
Prince  was  effected.  It  is  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon ;  we 
are  in  the  centre  of  an  open  space  which  lies  between  two  open 
pavilions.  In  front  is  the  Hooghly,  looking  marvellously  like 
the  Thames  on  a  bright  summer's  day.  The  sun  plays  upon 
the  waters,  upon  the  thousands  of  boats  that  crowd  together 
close  to  the  pier,  and  the  roofs  of  the  warehouses  which  stand 
in  a  long  line  on  the  opposite  shore,  just  as  they  do  on  the 
Surrey  side  of  the  grand  old  London  river.  The  warehouses 
are  shut,  however,  and  yonder  crowd  of  boats  are  full  of  holi- 
day-makers; the  ships  are  gay  in  colours;  and  the  throng, 
which  reaches  to  the  water's  edge  in  one  direction,  and  right 
away  through  the  city  of  Calcutta  in  the  other,  is  no  ordinary 
gathering,  but  comprises  all  that  is  alive  in  this  great  Bengal 
capital.  It  is  commonly  said  that  Calcutta  crowds  lack  the 
colour  which  makes  an  assemblage  of  Bombay  natives  so 
picturesque.  If  so,  the  ordinary  aspect  differs  from  that  of 
to-day,  for  the  dark  faces  of  the  sightseers,  and  their  red  hats, 
flowing  robes,  and  strange  decorations,  combine  to  form  a  not- 
able display  hardly  inferior  to  anything  I  have  seen  elsewhere. 
No  combs  are  visible  in  the  heads  of  the  men,  nor  many 
Mahratta  turbans  with  the  curious  distinguishing  point  in  the 


172  WITH  TEE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

centre  thereof.  One  looks  almost  in  vain  for  the  Parsee  hat 
and  the  Madras  puggaree ;  yet  there  are  fine,  handsome,  manly 
faces,  and  the  graceful  Bengal  hat  is  worn  in  every  conceivable 
colour ;  rich  shawls,  too,  and  costly  dresses  are  not  uncommon, 
so  that  the  natives  of  Calcutta  may  well  be  proud  of  their  ap- 
pearance to-day.  My  point  of  view,  however,  is  outside  the 
crowd,  next  a  pillar  hidden  away  in  palm  leaves,  which  helps 
to  support  both  the  pavilions  on  either  side.  A  crimson 
carpet  leads  down  to  the  end  of  the  pier  ;  behind  is  a  huge  tri- 
umphal arch,  whereon  a  welcome  to  the  Prince  is  inscribed  in 
roses — artificial,  perhaps,  but  still  roses ;  floating  on  the  river, 
immediately  opposite,  is  the  "  Serapis,"  clad  in  bunting,  and  on 
either  side,  at  some  distance  removed,  are  the  belles  and  beaux 
of  Calcutta.  I  have  said  at  some  distance,  because  between  my 
standpoint  and  them  are  all  the  Rajah  and  Maharajah-dom  of 
the  Bengal  Presidency,  together  with  princes  and  princelets 
from  the  South  and  North,  who  are  come  hither  to  see  the 
Prince,  and,  if  possible,  to  greet  him.  The  Viceroy  is  moving 
about,  shaking  hands  with  his  feudatories  ;  it  is  a  time  of  great 
rejoicing,  and  everybody  is  glad. 

An  air  of  ease  and  comfort  characterises  the  reception  pavil- 
ions. By  placing  the  English  residents,  both  ladies  and  gentle- 
men, on  seats  which,  while  rising  one  above  another,  abut 
upon  the  walls  of  the  pavilions  on  either  side,  a  broad  square 
space  is  formed,  in  which  the  native  dignitaries  can  move 
about  at  pleasure.  Here  movable  couches,  sofas,  easy  chairs, 
and  lounges  are  scattered  about,  and  any  one  may  sit  or 
stand.  The  Bengal  wolf  may  lie  down  with  the  Madras  lamb. 
Maharajahs  and  sirdars  can  meet  on  an  equal  footing.  Thus 
the  Maharajah  of  Puttiala,  a  short  stout  gentleman  in  a  white 
turban  and  a  bright  blue  satin  coat,  stands  next  to  the  good 
Bishop  of  Calcutta  in  shovel  hat  and  shorts  ;  and  not  far  off  are 
the  three  members  of  the  Burmese  Embassy,  who  look,  for  all 
the  world,  as  though  they  were  victims  of  the  Spanish  Inquisi- 


THE  PRINCE  IN  BENGAL.  173 

tion.  High  conical  hats,  long,  crimson,  purple,  velvet  gowns, 
ornamented  in  extraordinary  fashion,  with  bright  gold  braid, 
and  the  funniest  faces  that  could  be  drawn,  are  the  characteristics 
of  these  well-born,  highly  honoured,  and  very  excellent  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Lord  of  the  Golden  Foot.  The  peculiarity  of 
their  costume  is  perhaps  heightened  by  the  yellow-plumed, 
helineted,  and  blue-trousered  French  officer  from  Pondicherry 
who  now  and  then  turns  a  pirouette  on  his  high-heeled  boots. 
A.  curious  group  that,  and  one  to  be  regarded  attentively. 

Then  there  are  the  Maharajah  of  Cashmere,  the  Maharajah 
of  Benares,  and  the  three  sons  of  Jung  Bahadoor,  all  in  friendly 
conversation.  He  of  Cashmere  is  quietly  dressed  in  white  and 
gold,  is  a  portly  person  of  some  sixty  years,  and  is  happy  in  the 
possession  of  two  very  handsome  daggers  which  he  wears  in  his 
cummerband  or  girdle.  His  compeer  of  Benares  is  older — a 
very  patriarch  in  fact,  grey,  bent,  palsied — yet  withal  a  grand 
old  fellow,  gorgeously  arrayed  in  the  far-famed  Khin-khob 
cloth,  which  is  a  handsome  mixture  of  silk  and  cloth  of  gold, 
and  would  make  the  eyes  of  any  English  dame  of  fashion  glisten 
with  delight.  The  three  young  gentlemen  from  Nepaul  are 
stout,  nor  do  they  present  any  striking  contrast  to  the  other 
notables  here,  except  that  these  youngsters  are  more  brilliant 
in  diamonds  than  most  of  their  seniors.  On  the  Maharajah  of 
Cashmere's  neck  is  certainly  a  row  of  pearls,  costly  in  their 
way,  yet  only  small  pearls ;  but  in  the  turban  of  yonder  round- 
faced  Bahadoor,  just  above  the  two  little  black  eyes  which  can 
scarcely  be  seen  to  twinkle  for  the  fat  which  surrounds  them, 
is  a  diamond  aigrette  such  as  the  Maharajah  of  Mysore  would 
view  with  interest  and  delight.  He  is  not  so  distingue  with 
jewels  as  the  chief  whom  we  just  now  saw  close  to  the  prelate 
of  Calcutta.  That  potentate  bought,  it  will  be  remembered, 
the  jewels  of  the  Empress  Eugenie,  and  as  he  stands  there  he  is 
worth  three  hundred  thousand  pounds.  Still  the  representatives 
of  Jung  Bahadoor  are  eminently  respectable,  and,  I  should  say, 


174  WITH   THE  PBINGE  IN  INDtA. 

could  sell  their  diamonds  for  as  much  as  would  buy  a  consider- 
able street  in  the  West-end  of  London. 

There  is,  however,  another  posse  of  young  men  who  have 
claims  to  distinction.  They  are  three  melancholy  youths,  not 
stout,  but  thin,  standing  close  together,  but  otherwise  alone. 
Nobody  goes  near  them ;  they  are  not  pressed  to  the  left  and 
right  breasts  of  Rajah  or  Maharajah,  as  are  all  the  rest  we  see. 
Save  that  some  political  agent  now  and  then  accosts  them,  they 
say  nothing  to  anybody,  but  stand  still  and  look  on  at  all  that 
passes  with  quiet  interest.  In  attire  they  resemble  the  old 
pictures  of  Martin  Luther — black,  velvet  caps,  somewhat  like 
the  old  biretta  with  earlaps  standing  out  straight,  long  black 
velvet  gowns,  sandalled  feet,  no  ornaments,  not  even  a  pearl 
or  a  diamond.  Who  can  they  be?  I  turn  to  the  courteous 
Colonel  Martin  Dillon,  the  secretary  of  Lord  Napier,  who,  like 
his  chieftain,  is  in  full  dress  covered  with  medals  and  decorations, 
and  from  him  learn  that  these  are  the  grandsons  of  Tippoo  Sahib. 
Shades  of  the  great,  what  a  different  scene  do  their  eyes  look 
upon  to-day  from  that  which  they  would  probably  have  witness- 
ed but  for  the  valour  of  British  and  native  soldiers,  and  the 
skill  of  Arthur  Wellesley  !  They  might  have  been  gazing  at  a 
successor  of  that  most  unfortunate  captive,  Sir  David  Baird, 
who  not  so  many  years  ago  was  placed  in  a  water-wheel  and 
made  to  work  it  for  the  amusement  of  Tippoo  and  his  ladies. 
Quien  sabe  ?  To-day,  these  unhappy  ones,  ejected  from  Mysore, 
no  longer  rulers  of  Seringapatam,  stand  meekly  in  the  back- 
ground to  see  the  Prince  of  the  race  which  annihilated  their 
family's  greatness  pass  by  in  state.  They  are  not  even  honour- 
ed by  a  nod  or  a  shake  of  the  hand.  When  Tippoo  fell,  the 
grandeur  of  the  dynasty  fell  with  him;  that  thrust  of  the 
private  soldier's  bayonet  in  the  fatal  gateway  not  only  killed 
Tippoo,  but  upset  his  successors  to  all  time.  Those  young  men 
would  not  be  here  to-day  had  the  Treaty  of  1793  been  observed. 
In  such  case  they  would  have  been  received  with  a  twenty-one 


THE  PBINCE  IN  BENGAL.  175 

gun  salute  at  Madras,  met  on  the  edge  of  the  carpet,  conducted 
to  a  grand  seat  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Prince,  and  been  favour- 
ed with  the  pleasant  conversation  which  is  now  reserved  for 
those  who  are  greater  than  they. 

But  moralising  is  out  of  place  here,  for  we  must  look  round 
before  the  Prince  lands.  There  is  the  Maharajah  of  Rewah,  a 
fine  tall  man,  with  an  astonishing  aigrette  of  diamonds  in  his 
cap,  and  splendidly  clad  in  bright  colours.  A  certain  lankness 
about  the  hair  and  whiskers  of  this  notability  perhaps  awakens 
suspicions ;  but  few  are  prepared  to  see  anything  half  so  for- 
bidding as  his  countenance  when  he  turns  round.  His  face  is 
painted  red ;  he  must  surely  be  a  descendant  of  the  Sandwich 
or  savage  islanders,  so  curiously  tattooed  are  his  cheeks  and  his 
forehead.  No  such  thing.  He  is  a  victim  to  leprosy  ;  his  ter- 
rible face  is  the  sign,  and  his  feeble  walk  the  result.  Yet  he  is 
not  avoided.  How  could  a  man  who  carries  thirty  thousand 
pounds'  worth  of  brilliants  on  his  turban  be  shunned  1  See,  the 
Maharajah  of  Cashmere  clasps  the  leprous  Rewah  to  his  bosom ; 
and  a  little  stout  Rajah,  in  a  red  turban,  bright  purple  satin 
coat,  and  light  green  trousers,  trots  up  full  of  joy  at  being  next 
saluted.  That  amusing  person  who  carries  his  sword  before 
him  so  carefully  wrapped  up  in  silk  that  it  looks  as  bulbous  as 
a  teapot,  squeezes  the  red-faced  Maharajah  to  his  breast,  and 
then  runs  off  as  pleased  as  though  he  had  embraced  Shiva,  and 
Parvati  into  the  bargain.  It  is  clearly  a  great  thing  to  be  a 
Maharajah. 

Not  far  distant  is  a  tall,  fine,  clear-complexioned  gentleman 
in  a  long  green  robe  spotted  with  golden  stars.  On  his  head  is 
a  small  golden  crown,  just  like  those  depicted  upon  the  school- 
history  likenesses  of  William  Rufus.  He  has  a  high  forehead,  a 
noble  expression,  a  skin  quite  unsullied  by  leprosy ;  yet  there 
he  stands  all  unnoticed.  Why  1  He  is  not  a  Prince,  "  only 
one  of  those  fellows  from  Oude,"  says  an  officer ;  and  splendid 
fellow  though  he  is,  even  the  tainted  ruler  of  Rewah  would  not 


176  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

vouchsafe  to  give  him  one  salute.  He  might  wear  fifty  crowns, 
he  will  not  be  squeezed  to  the  breast  of  anybody  here.  Just 
now  Lord  Napier  of  Magdala  spoke  to  him,  and  here  comes  the 
veteran  Commander-in-Chief  leading  somebody  else  up  to  Scin- 
diah,  who,  with  a  yellow  hat,  and  a  white  robe,  with  diamond 
armlets  and  the  riband  of  the  Star  of  India  over  his  shoulder,  is 
sitting  on  a  sofa.  "Who  can  help  regretting  that  India  is  about 
to  lose  the  services  of  so  far-seeing  a  general  and  so  careful  a 
diplomatist — more  so  than  ever,  indeed,  when  he  grasps  you  by 
the  hand,  bids  you  welcome  to  Bengal,  and  tells  you  that  on 
your  arrival  at  Delhi  there  shall  be  a  tent  for  yourself,  a  peg 
and  a  rope  for  your  horse,  and  a  restaurant  to  save  you  the  six 
miles'  ride  into  the  city  when  the  daily  fighting  is  over  and  you 
need  rest  1  A  rare  old  soldier  is  Lord  Napier,  and  you  honour 
him  for  what  he  has  done.  Close  behind  him  is  Sir  Richard 
Temple,  who  but  lately  jumped  from  his  horse,  then  falling  over 
a  precipice,  and  so  saved  his  life,  and  near  him  are  Colonel 
Earle,  Captain  Evelyn  Baring,  and  Captain  F.  Baring.  A 
group  of  favoured  ladies  and  gentlemen  admire  the  case  in  which 
the  address  to  the  Prince  will  be  placed,  a  fine  gold  box,  much 
ornamented,  the  treasure  casket  of  Calcutta  eloquence  and 
loyalty. 

Meanwhile  the  guns  of  the  men-of-war  blazed  away,  the  old 
sixty-four  converted  making  but  a  feeble  boom  when  compared 
with  the  ear-splitting  crash  of  their  seven-inch  rivals ;  and  his 
Royal  Highness  made  for  the  shore,  followed  and  preceded  by 
his  followers  and  retainers.  At  length  they  landed,  and  a 
number  of  Baboos,  officers,  gentlemen  in  cocked  hats,  who  be- 
longed to  the  Legislative  Council,  and  others,  crowded  round 
his  Royal  Highness,  while  the  chief  policeman,  Mr.  Stuart 
Hogg,  read  very  deliberately.  This  is  however,  mere  guess- 
work. From  my  coign  of  vantage  I  could  see  the  deputation 
nod  their  heads  at  what  appeared  to  be  paragraphs  in  a  much- 
admired  address ;  the  Priace  also  bowed  in  return,  and  it  was 


HE  PRINCE  IN  BENGAL.  177 

evident  that  he  was  saying  something.  "When  the  inaudible 
business  was  over,  all  joined  in  the  cheer  which  saluted  his 
Royal  Highness,  as  he  moved  towards  the  pavilions.  There 
was  very  little  enthusiasm  at  Bombay,  less  at  Colombo,  still 
less  at  Madras;  here  there  was  a  genuine  English  shout  of 
joyous  greeting,  and  it  was  prolonged  long  after  the  Royal  party 
reached  the  pavilion. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  there  are  presentations — the  Viceroy 
presenting  the  Rajah  of  Cashmere  and  Holkar,  next  Rewah, 
and  after  that  Prince  Scindiah,  who  all  stand  in  the  order  they 
themselves  choose,  and  shake  hands  with  the  Prince  with  great 
cordiality.  How  for  each  the  Prince  has  a  pleasant  word,  how 
it  takes  nearly  twenty  minutes  to  shake  hands  with  them  all, 
and  how,  when  his  Royal  Highness  left  the  arch,  a  louder  cheer 
than  ever  was  given,  can  be  imagined.  Nor  need  the  order  of 
the  procession  be  given,  since  the  Yiceroy  and  the  Prince  must 
necessarily  occupy  the  same  carriage ;  and  it  boots  not  for  the 
English  people  to  know  whether  the  members  of  Council  rode 
before  or  behind  his  Royal  Highness.  Suffice  it  to  say  that, 
escorted  by  volunteers  and  native  troops,  always  cheered  by  the 
people,  and  at  one  place  saluted  by  the  school  children  of  Cal- 
cutta, who  sang  a  new  version  of  the  National  Anthem,  he  at 
length  passed  the  gates  of  Government  House,  and  took  up 
residence  in  that  magnificent  building..  I  should  not  omit  to 
mention  that  next  day  a  local  newspaper  appeared  in  deep 
mourning,  in  consequence  of  the  address  having  been  read  by 
the  police  superintendent. 

That  night  the  streets  and  squares  of  Calcutta  were  in  a 
blaze  of  light.  The  place  which  has  been  justly  called  the  city 
of  palaces,  was  lit  up  in  so  artistic  a  style  as  to  bring  to  mind 
the  grandest  tales  of  the  "  Thousand  and  One  Nights."  In  the 
luminous  atmosphere,  dusky  forms,  clad  in  Oriental  garments, 
flitted  about  noiselessly  by  thousands;  paiankeen  bearers, 
coaches,  buggies,  and  bullock  vehicles  were  carrying  unwonted 


178  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

loads  ;  and  Christmas  Eve  was  a  night  of  joviality  in  honour  of 
the  Prince.  I  wish  I  could  portray  to  you,  as  vividly  as  I  saw  it, 
the  beauty  of  the  scene.  No  Aladdin  was  needed  to  cry  new 
lamps  in  exchange  for  old;  every  building  seemed  to  be  one 
vast  lamp  full  of  oil  and  light.  The  resources  of  the  East  and 
West  were  brought  into  play  together,  Hindoos  and  Moham- 
medans, under  a  celebrated  local  firm,  and  English  makers  and 
designers,  joining  to  decorate  this  already  handsome  city. 
There  were  stars  and  crosses,  all  kinds  of  devices,  such  as  Bir- 
mingham, Sheffield,  and  London  delight  in  on  great  days  of 
festivity,  in  gas,  and  in  addition  to  these,  thousands  of  oil  lamps 
hung  in  festoons  and  loops,  or  stretched  over  the  roads  in 
arches,  covering  fronts  of  houses  and  walls,  and  the  railings  of 
the  squares.  It  was,  without  doubt,  the  grandest  Christmas 
Eve  Calcutta  had  ever  seen,  a  night  of  great  and  unalloyed  re- 
joicing. And  Christmas  Day  itself  was  to  be  kept  this  year 
in  real  English  fashion  by  a  Prince  and  his  followers,  and  by 
hundreds  of  Englishmen  and  Englishwomen,  in  the  Empire 
city  of  Calcutta ;  while  that  night  we  began  the  festivity  by 
lighting  up  the  streets,  as  they  never  had  been  before,  in  honour 
of  the  Royal  visitor  and  the  Itoyal  visit. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A  SUNDAY  IN  CALCUTTA. 

Sundays  in  Calcutta  are  not  spent  at  the  Zoo  for  the  very- 
sufficient  reason  that  Calcutta  has  till  lately  had  no  Zoological 
Gardens  in  which  to  spend  its  after-church  Sunday.     But  it 
has  long  had  its  own  fashionable  resort,  for  all  that ;  and  while 
people  in  England  were  buttoning  their  overcoats  and  putting 
thick  gloves  on,  preparatory   to   taking   their  favourite  race 
through  the  frost-bitten  gardens  in  Regent's  Park,  Calcutta — 
that  is  to  say,  of  course,  European  Calcutta — having  achieved 
its  devotions  at  cathedral,  church,  and  chapel,  in  accordance 
with  the  fashionable  method  out  here,  was  getting  ready  to 
move  off  to  the  Botanical  Gardens,  which  lie  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  grand  river  Hooghly.     It  was  Christmas-tide,  and 
the  good  old  Bishop,  since  dead,  had  droned  out  the  last  sen- 
tence of  what  at  one  time  promised  to  be  an  endless  sermon ; 
the  choir  had  sung  the  fifth  and  last  hymn ;  the  offertory  had 
been  made,  and  sixpences  had  been  furtively  slipped  into  red 
velvet  bags  which  certainly  should  have  opened  to  nothing  less 
than  rupees  ;  and  the  organist  was  thundering  "  For  unto  us  a 
Child  is  born,"  when  one  of  the  gentlemen  who  had  just  made 
the  collection  stepped  across  the  aisle  of  the  church  and  invited 
me  to  luncheon.     All  innocent  of  Botanical  Gardens,  and  far 
away  from  the  guidance  of  any  member  of  the  Sunday  Observ- 
ance Society,  my  thoughts  naturally  turned  in  the  direction  of 
a  sober  meal  within  four  white  walls,  under  a  waving  breeze- 
making  punkah,  somewhere  in  the  suburbs  of  Calcutta.     But, 
to  my  surprise,  the  carriage  of  this  estimable  and  hospitable 
person  stopped  neither  at  staid-looking  bungalow  nor  white- 


180  WITH  THE  PMNCE   IN  INDIA. 

faced  Louse ;  but,  passing  under  the  triumphal  arch  which  had 
welcomed  the  Prince  on  the  day  of  his  landing,  pulled  up  at 
the  water's  edge,  close  to  a  dingy,  in  which  sat  four  or  five 
semi-nude  boatmen. 

Would  you  know  what  a  dingy  is  1  Then  take  the  shabbiest 
gondola  that  Venice  can  furnish,  knock  off  all  that  is  orna- 
mental in  the  shape  of  carved  prow  or  stern,  move  the  covered 
seats  in  the  centre  to  one  end  of  the  craft,  give  it  a  flush  deck, 
and  thereupon  place  four  not  handsome  native  rowers,  and  you 
have  a  first-class  dingy — just  such  a  one  as  we  entered  on  that 
bright  Sunday  afternoon. 

We  were  not  alone  in  our  expedition,  for  already  seated  in 
the  dingy  were  four  or  five  gentlemen  who,  unlike  ourselves, 
had  not  been  to  cathedral,  and  from  whom  I  learnt  that  our 
ultimate  destination  was  the  Botanical  Gardens,  where  we 
should  have  to  lunch  on  the  grass  "  the  same,"  my  informant 
continued,  "  as  everybody  in  Calcutta  does."  Onward  the  boat 
sped  towards  the  other  side  of  the  river,  where  the  sail  was  to 
be  hoisted.  On  the  Hooghly  was  many  another  craft  of  the 
same  description  ;  some  with  parties  of  intending  lunch-takers, 
and  others  with  parties  of  intended  lunch-makers ;  namely, 
servants  who  were  carrying  boatloads  of  provisions  and  wine 
to  the  place  for  which  we  were  bound.  Still,  there  was  no  un- 
seemly noise ;  nothing  like  the  hideous  cackle  of  the  catamaran 
rowers  at  Colombo.  There,  if  you  would  be  quiet  on  the  water, 
you  would  have  to  beg  your  boatmen  as  a  particular  favour  not 
to  sing  the  songs  they  love,  else  you  would  be  treated  to  a 
series  of  yells  compared  with  which  a  London  street  singer's 
melodies  would  be  agreeable  music.  And  even  then  you  would 
be  startled  every  minute  or  so  by  the  eternal  "  La  ilia,  la,  la, 
la,"  wafted  from  some  other  boat  on  those  troublous  waters. 
Here,  however,  there  was  no  "  singing,"  only  the  steady  plash 
of  the  oars  in  the  water  as  we  passed  along  the  bank  of  the 
river. 


A  SUNDAY  IN  CALCUTTA.  181 

Respecting  the  Hooghly  at  the  point  where  it  pierces  Cal- 
cutta, there  is  not  much  to  be  said.  It  is  rather  more  unin- 
teresting than  the  Thames  below  Gravesend;  about  as  wide, 
but  less  turbulent,  though  more  turbid.  On  one  hand  stands 
the  city  proper — on  the  other  a  long  line  of  cotton-spining  fac- 
tories, which  promise  some  day  or  another,  according  to  local 
prophets,  to  be  an  exceeding  trouble  to  Manchester  and  a  great 
source  of  supply  for  the  London  market.  But  as  you  pass  down 
the  river  you  find  the  scenery  more  diversified.  On  one  side  is 
the  present  residence  of  the  ex-King  of  Oude,  with  its  gardens 
and  pleasaunces,  on  the  other  the  Botanical  Gardens.  It  was 
at  a  little  landing-stage  attached  to  these  last  that  we  stepped 
ashore,  walking  now  up  a  slight  incline  to  a  shady  spot,  where 
under  aromatic  trees  of  great  beauty,  we  found  seats  and  a 
tablecloth  spread  on  the  grass,  with  a  luncheon  fit  for  the  Prince 
himself.  Guards,  too,  there  were — coloured  gentlemen  armed 
with  sticks,  who  were  waving  them  about  as  fiercely  as  though 
a  band  of  Dacoits  were  somewhere  in  the  bushes.  Yet  there 
could  not  be  Dacoits  in  the  gardens,  and  the  bunch  of  squalid 
Hindoos  who  were  squatted  on  the  pathway  some  little  distance 
off  scarcely  required  such  a  display  of  force  to  keep  them  from 
the  cold  game-pie  or  the  sherry.  They  looked  hungry  enough — 
were  hungry,  too,  Heaven  knows ;  and  their  reason  for  squat- 
ting in  the  pathway  was,  without  doubt,  the  hope  of  getting 
just  one  mouthful  of  something  to  eat  presently — just  as  a 
pariah  dog  close  by  them  came  there  in  search  of  a  bone  ;  but 
they  no  more  dared  to  seize  upon  the  boiled  leg  of  mutton, 
steaming  hot  and  savoury,  with  the  turnips  and  carrots  artisti- 
cally and  temptingly  arrayed  on  a  great  dish,  than  they  would 
dream  of  plundering  Government  House. 

Where  was  the  enemy,  then?  We  had  scarcely  sat.  down 
when  we  discovered  that  recondite  foe.  One  of  the  party  had 
helped  himself  to  a  choice  slice  of  beef.  On  the  joint  itself  was 
a  Government  mark  of  undoubted  genuineness,  indicating  that 


182  WITH  THE  PBINCE  IN  INDIA. 

the  beef  was  of  the  very  best  quality,  in  accordance  with  rules 
laid  down  for  the  guidance  of  meat  inspectors  in  the  Calcutta 
markets  from  time  immemorial.     But  neither  inspector's  mark 
— the  corner  of  the  cross  was  on  that  identical  slice — nor  the 
sticks  of  the  guardians  of  the  feast  could  save  that  unlucky 
morsel.     Down   from  the  sky  above  us,  at  a  moment   when 
least  expected,  swooped  a  voracious  kite.     Like  a  flash  of  light- 
ning that  unconscionable  bird,  utterly  regardless  of  the  rights 
of  property,  and  not  caring  a  single  snap  of  the  bill  for  inspec- 
tor or  proprietor,  came  through  the  picnic  party,  and,  seizing 
that  choice  cut  of  beef,  flew  aloft  and  away  before  we  could 
utter   the  Hindostanee  equivalent  of  the   proverbial    "Jack 
Robinson."     That  was  the  thief,  then,  against  whom  the  men 
with  the  sticks  were  warring ;  that  was  the  marauder  against 
whom  they  had  to  fight ;  and,  worse  than  all,  his  friends  and 
acquaintances  were  hovering  by  the  score,  about  forty  feet  above 
us,  ready  to  seize  the  rest  of  the  provisions  if  only  we  would 
let  them.     Had  we  only  got  one  of  the  descendants  of  the  Lord 
Cardinal  of  Rheims  there,  he  might  have  "  solemnly  cursed  that 
rascally  thief,"  and,  perchance,  brought  him  to  repentance,  just 
as  the  great  Lord  Cardinal  himself  dealt  with  the  jackdaw  that 
stole  the  ring ;  but  we  had  no  one  amongst  us  who  could  lay 
the  slightest  claim  to  belonging  to  the  Rheims  Cardinal's  family. 
So  we  had  to  sit  a  little  closer,  advise  the  guards  to  wave  their 
sticks  more  fiercely,  and  to  watch  the  kites  more  closely.     It 
was  necessary,  I  firmly  believe,  to  eat   things   as   quickly  as 
possible  j  even  the  beer  seemed  in  danger,  though,  so  far  as  I 
could  learn,  the  most  voracious  and  reckless  kite  had  never 
been  seen  to  fly  away  with  a  bottle  of  Allsopp.     Yet,  with  the 
Darwinian  theory  of  natural  selection  before  us,  and  the  possi- 
bility that  in  course  of  time  some  elderly  kite  might  possibly 
have  advanced  from  the  seizing  of  eatables  to  the  purloining 
of  drinkables,  we  disposed  of  what  potions  we  had  brought  witli 
us,  and  presently  adjourned  to  the  great  banyan  tree,  of  which 
Calcutta  and  the  chief  of  the  Botanical  Gardens  are  proud. 


A  SUNDAY  IN  CALCUTTA,  183 

There  is  always  some  satisfaction  in  seeing  the  largest  speci- 
men of  any  particular  class — the  biggest  baloon,  the  highest 
mountain,  the  hugest  ship.  We  went  to  the  largest  banyan  tree 
in  the  world.  I  know  that  in  Guzerat  there  is  a  tree  of  this 
class  which  claims  the  premier  place ;  also,  that  at  Barrack- 
pore  there  is  a  banyan  of  undoubted  respectability.  But  the 
Calcutta  specimen  is,  after  all,  the  king.  You  could  bivouac 
a  whole  regiment  of  soldiers  comfortably  under  its  branches ; 
if  you  had  it  in  your  garden  there  would  be  room  for  nothing 
else,  but  you  might  live  under  its  shade  and  call  it  your  "  roof 
tree "  with  some  propriety.  Indeed,  in  one  respect,  it  is  not 
altogether  unlike  the  Hall  of  a  Thousand  Pillars — for  the 
banyan  tree  has  one  great  peculiarity  which  is  not  generally 
known  in  England.  From  its  branches  drop  feelers  or  hangers, 
somewhat  in  the  way  that  the  strawberry  plant's  feelers  spread 
out,  and,  there  taking  root,  become  eventually  strong  trunks 
themselves,  several  feet  in  girth,  and  the  parents  of  other  roots 
again.  In  this  way  the  space  under  the  tree  is  filled  with 
pillars  of  wood,  behind  which  you  could  hide,  and  between 
which  lovers  were  seated,  and — what  is  still  more  sad — some 
were  playing  what  Cromwell  designated  "  that  most  ungodly 
game  of  kiss-in-the-ring."  Others,  too,  were  picnicing  under 
the  umbrageous  shade  of  this  grand  tree,  which  is  never  aught 
but  green  summer  or  winter,  while  more  were  perched  on  the 
branches  which  extend  in  almost  every  direction  for  very  many 
yards.  I  say  "almost,"  because  the  tree,  curiously  enough, 
has  not  shot  out  a  single  tendril  towards  the  north,  but  confines 
its  leafy  shade  to  other  parts  of  the  compass.  But  that  scarcely 
detracts  from  its  beauty ;  it  covers  a  huge  circular  space  from 
the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  constitutes  a  marvel  of  which  Calcutta 
may  well  be  proud. 

Of  the  gardens  themselves,  I  scarcely  think  so  much  could  be 
said.  They  are  not  to  be  compared  with  those  of  Kandy,  either 
in  beauty  of  landscape  or  rarity  of  plants.     Palms  are  plentiful ; 


184  WITH  TEE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

but  where  are  the  vanilla,  -with  its  wonderful  pods,  the  pictu- 
resque plantain,  the  lovely  pommelo,  or  the  leafy  nutmeg  tree  ] 
Where  are  the  groves  which  make  Peradinya  so  lovely — where 
the  rich  clusters  of  flowers  that  load  the  air  with  perfume] 
There  is  nothing  like  that  here.  The  groves  are  thin,  even  the 
fernery  is  small ;  a  vast  expanse  of  plain,  barely  covered  with 
trees  and  plants,  constitutes  these  gardens.  Yet  bordering  on 
the  Hooghly,  they  are  a  great  source  of  comfort  to  European 
Calcutta  on  Sunday,  and  we,  in  going  thither,  only  did  what 
all  the  world  and  his  wife  in  these  warm  regions  do.  Before 
night  had  set  in,  or  the  church  bells  for  evening  service  had 
sounded,  we  had  once  more  landed  on  the  opposite  shore,  all 
the  fresher  and  more  gladsome  for  our  pleasant  picnic  on  the 
grass, 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

POL  C  PLAYING  AND   SNAKE-CHARMING. 

Cricket  at  Lord's,  lawn  tennis  at  Prince's,  football  at  Rugby, 
racing  at  Epsom — are  seen  at  their  best.  But  to  learn  how 
polo  should  be  played  you  should  have  spent  an  hour  on  the 
Maidan  at  Calcutta,  a  large,  open,  grass-covered  space,  when 
there  were  galloping  there  at  a  terrific  pace  fourteen  semi-sav- 
age Munipuris.  I  do  not  for  a  moment  desire  to  disparage  the 
feats  of  Mr.  Murietta,  or  any  of  the  other  gentlemen  whose 
powers  with  the  polo  stick  are  undoubted.  But  of  this  I  am 
sure,  that  there  is  not  an  admirer  of  polo  at  home  or  in  India 
who  would  grudge  to  award  the  palm  of  superiority  to  these 
masters  of  the  game.  It  was  with  no  small  feeling  of  pleasure 
that  I  received  an  invitation  to  attend  a  polo  match,  at  which 
it  was  expected  the  Prince  and  Viceroy  would  be  present.  To 
see  the  Munipuris  play  would  be  to  see  the  style  of  the  tribes 
who  first  taught  India,  and,  through  India,  England,  this  plea- 
sant athletic  diversion.  How  well  their  skill  had  been  main- 
tained had  been  already  shown,  when  the  savages  beat  the 
skilled  horsemen  of  Calcutta  with  a  rapidity  and  ease  that 
greatly  surprised  the  Europeans. 

It  was  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when,  by  the  aid  of  a 
policeman,  who  gently  whipped  my  recalcitrant  coachman,  I 
reached  the  Maidan.  The  driver  having  an  eye  to  that  honest 
penny  which  it  is  the  ambition  of  every  Hindoo  to  turn  as  fre- 
quently as  possible,  had  made  arrangements  to  use  the  vehicle 
which  I  had  hired  for  the  day  as  a  hack  carriage  for  people 
attending  the  Prince's  levee,  and  at  such  moments  as  he  found 
himself  un watched  carried  out  his  project  with  considerable 

12 


186  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

energy.  An  unexpected  demand,  therefore,  that  he  should 
bend  the  carriage  wheels  in  the  direction  of  the  Maidan  met 
with  something  very  like  rebellion — a  reprehensible  state  of 
affairs  which  it  was  necessary  to  deal  with.  Reason  at  length 
prevailed;  the  troublesome  worshipper  of  Siva  was  persuaded 
to  do  his  duty,  and  an  hour's  drive  brought  us  to  the  place 
where  we  would  be. 

There  was  no  overlooking  the  workmanlike  appearance  of  the 
Munipuris;  both  they  and  their  ponies  were  ready  for  any- 
thing. These  latter  were  scarcely  over  11  hands  high,  but  as 
strong  as  lions  and  as  fleet  as  deer,  somewhat  shaggy,  but  under 
extraordinary  control.  The  saddles  were  broad,  and  had  the 
fronts  turned  over  in  such  a  way  as  to  give  the  rider  the 
strongest  possible  grip ;  the  stirrup  leathers  so  short  that  the 
knees  of  the  player  were  actually  higher  than  the  top  of  the 
saddle.  To  guard  the  flanks  of  the  pony,  on  either  side  a  thick 
piece  of  hide,  about  eighteen  inches  deep  and  two  feet  long,  was 
hung,  strongly  secured  by  thongs  of  leather,  and,  to  give  addi- 
tional protection  to  the  knees  of  the  rider,  this  hide  was  also 
turned  round  at  the  ends.  For  the  rest,  the  trappings  of  the 
ponies  were  very  ornate.  Woollen  rosettes  and  balls  of  varied 
colours  hung  all  round  them,  giving  a  pretty  effect  when  the 
animals  were  in  rapid  motion.  The  men  were  habited  in  a 
turban  tightly  fastened  on  to  the  head,  close-fitting  jackets, 
seven  dark  and  seven  light,  ornamented  with  golden  spangles. 
On  their  legs  were  thick  leather  guards,  extending  a  little  above 
their  knees.  Fastened  to  their  left  wrists  were  the  thongs  of  a 
whip.  A  short  white  gown  completed  their  dress.  The  sticks 
they  carried  were  about  4ft.  6in.  in  length,  made  of  the  lightest 
bamboo,  with  the  cross-piece  at  the  end  rather  more  slanted 
than  those  used  at  Hurlingham,  or,  indeed,  in  Calcutta.  There 
were  three  ridiculously-dressed  men  for  keeping  the  ground, 
each  clad  in  a  long  white  gown,  and  a  cap  with  three  points  of 
the  exact  pattern  worn  by  English  clowns,  and  wanting  only 


POLO-PLAYING  AND  SNAKE-CHARMING.      187 

the  bells  to  be  the  perfection  of  ugliness.  The  ball  used  was 
about  the  size  of  a  cricket  ball,  and  was  made  from  the  root  of 
the  bamboo,  being  subjected  to  a  drying  process  lasting  over 
nearly  a  year  before  fit  for  use.  There  were  no  goal  posts;  the 
area,  which  was  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram,  was  marked 
out  by  a  deeply-cut  line  in  the  grass,  over  which  the  players 
did  not  hesitate  to  rush  occasionally,  to  the  discomfiture  and 
terror  of  on-lopkers. 

While  all  this  was  being  noted,  those  invited  were  gathering. 
The  Viceroy  and  his  staff — whether  the  Prince  eventually  came 
I  do  not  know — a  few  Maharajahs,  some  American  generals 
who  chanced  to  be  in  Calcutta,  a  few  officers  from  the  camp, 
and  a  carriage  or  two  full  of  ladies,  together  with  a  score  or  so 
of  gentlemen  from  Calcutta,  composed  the  spectators.  The  con- 
test had  been  kept  secret,  in  order  that  the  Prince,  in  case  he 
might  find  time  to  attend,  might  do  so  without  being  mobbed. 
At  length  the  players  rangS  themselves  up  on  two  sides,  very 
close  to  each  other,  the  dark  jackets  facing  the  north.  The 
ball  is  thrown  in,  and  the  game  begins.  We  notice  that  it  is 
caught  up  and  sent  whirling  over  the  heads  of  the  dark  jackets. 
Helter-skelter  they  go  into  a  terrible  rush,  the  leather  flank 
guards  clattering  against  the  sides  of  the  saddle  with  a  noise 
like  that  of  small  drums,  the  white  ball  constantly  in  the  air, 
but  still  getting  nearer  and  nearer  the  goal  of  the  dark  jackets. 
They  fight  with  tremendous  bravery,  and  at  one  moment  rally 
so  strongly  as  to  force  their  opponents  back  some  yards.  But 
it  is  only  for  an  instant ;  the  next  sees  a  white  jacket,  standing 
in  the  stirrups,  with  his  head  bent  lower  than  that  of  his  horse, 
fly  past,  and  then,  turning  round,  swing  his  arm  over  the  hind- 
quarters of  his  pony,  and,  achieving  that  most  difficult  stroke 
known  to  polo-players,  land  the  ball  in  the  enemy's  goal. 

Back  they  go  at  once  to  the  centre  of  the  ground,  and  again 
the  ball  is  thrown.  This  time  the  struggle  is  even  more 
exciting,  for  the  ponies  have  entered  thoroughly  into  the  spirit 


188  WITH  THE  PEINCE   IN  INDIA 

of  the  game,  and  require  no  lashes  from  the  whip-thongs  which 
are  on  the  left  wrists  of  the  riders.  Indeed,  it  would  go  ill 
with  the  players  if  they  did ;  for,  curiously  enough  the  game 
is  almost  wholly  a  left-handed  fight,  and  is  won  by  a  left-hand 
stroke,  given  by  a  white  jacket  again.  The  friends  of  the  dark 
jackets  are  somewhat  disheartened  this  time,  and  a  Calcutta 
polo-player  who  is  seated  on  a  splendid  little  pony  of  about  12 
hands  gives  it  as  his  opinion  that  he  could  beat  "  any  of  those 
fellows  easily."  Not  so  easily,  though ;  for  the  next  goal  and 
the  next  are  won  by  them,  and  now  comes  the  conquering  game. 
I  do  not  think  there  is  a  single  spectator  who  is  not  carried 
away  by  the  enthusiasm  of  the  moment.  The  sound  of  martial 
music  in  the  camp  close  at  hand ;  the  red  orb  of  the  sun  as  just 
before  it  goes  to  rest  it  lights  up  the  open  work  of  a  neighbouring 
church  steeple;  the  palatial  houses  of  Calcutta  in  the  distance;  the 
long  lines  of  green  trees  which  surround  the  Maidan;  and  more 
than  all,  the  appearance  of  that  little  corps  of  horsemen  and  their 
steeds  panting  alike  for  excitement  and  want  of  breath,  all  com- 
bine to  give  interest  to  the  scene.  I  could  conceive  of  Mr.  Pick- 
wick himself  hazarding  a  rupee  on  the  chances  of  the  struggle. 
At  last  the  ball  is  thrown  once  more,  and  before  we  can  get  out 
of  the  way  the  ponies  are  nearly  upon  us,  for  the  white  bamboo- 
root  comes  skimming  along  over  the  boundary,  and  is  out. 
Back  it  goes  again  only  to  meet  with  a  like  fate ;  and  a  third 
time  expectation  is  at  its  highest.  This  time  the  issue  is  decided. 
For  nearly  five  minutes  the  struggle  continues.  A  great  dog 
rushes  away  from  its  master  into  the  very  thick  of  the  fray,  and 
speedily  comes  back  sadder  and  wiser.  Then  the  group  breaks, 
and  there  is  a  rush  to  the  white  goal  which  bids  fair  to  succeed ; 
but  unhappily  at  the  supreme  moment  two  green  jackets 
cannon  against  each  other,  and  roll  over  on  the  grass.  Though 
they  rise  at  once,  and  join  in  the  battle,  the  ball  speeds  its  way 
towards  the  other  goal.  One  desperate  effort  is  made.  A 
white  jacket  is  tearing  along  in  chase  of  the  little  sphere,  and 


POLO-PLAYING  AND  SNAKE-CHARMING.      189 

about  to  strike  it  a  final  blow,  when  an  opponent  catches  him 
and  entangles  his  stick  in  his  own.  It  is  useless.  Another 
white  jacket  is  close  behind,  and  with  a  tremendous  cut  he 
sends  the  ball  over  the  heads  of  the  rivals,  and  gains  the  fifth 
victory.  Of  course,  we  applaud  this  feat,  and,  as  it  is  rapidly 
becoming  dark,  hasten  across  the  grass  to  congratulate  the 
riders  and  pat  the  ponies,  which,  strange  to  say,  after  the 
stupendous  efforts  they  have  made,  are  still  fresh  and  just  as 
ready  as  ever  to  rush  into  the  fight  once  more.  It  is  too  late ; 
in  the  distance  the  triumphal  arches  are  being  lit  up ;  lights  are 
rapidly  extending  along  the  streets.  We  must  return  to  the 
city. 

To  leave  Calcutta  without  seeing  the  snakes  at  the  General 
Hospital  would  have  been  an  omission  of  which,  at  any  rate, 
we  could  not  be  guilty.  Accordingly  it  was  with  great  pleasure 
that  I  accepted  an  invitation  to  visit  the  collection.  Bear  in 
mind  that  no  snake-charmer  was  present,  that  neither  pipe  nor 
whistle  was  used,  that  every  snake  had  its  poison  fangs  or 
teeth  in  capital  order,  and  that  no  means  save  the  marvellous 
skill  of  the  native  operators  was  employed  in  the  exhibition 
which  followed,  and  you  will  have  a  good  idea  of  the  peril 
through  which  those  Hindoos  passed. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning — not,  however,  before  the 
snakes,  which  were  in  a  series  of  wire-covered  boxes,  were 
awake  and  lively — that  we  were  shown  into  a  stone-floored 
room  some  twenty  feet  long  and  twelve  broad.  In  the  boxes 
were  the  strongest  and  deadliest  snakes  in  India  :  pythons, 
ophiophagi,  cobras,  korites,  Russel  snakes,  and  many  others. 
The  Hindoos  who  had  charge  of  them  were  two  slim,  wiry,  little 
men,  nude  to  the  waist,  as  most  of  their  countrymen  are.  They 
wore  neither  gloves  nor  any  other  protection,  and  had  no  instru- 
ment of  any  kind  in  the  place.  After  showing  the  varied  col- 
lection under  their  care,  they  proceeded  to  open  the  python 
cage,  and  one  of  them,  putting  his  hand  in,  seized  a  monster 


190  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

serpent  and  threw  him  upon  the  floor  close  to  our  feet.  The 
python  objected  to  such  treatment,  and  began  to  hiss,  making 
at  the  same  time  a  vigorous  effort  to  rise.  But  the  snake- 
keeper  was  waiting  for  this,  and  no  sooner  did  that  huge  shining 
back  begin  to  curve  than  the  keeper  put  out  his  hand,  and 
seizing  the  creature's  tail,  pulled  it  back  with  a  jerk.  Instantly 
the  python  was  powerless — hissing,  but  unable  to  move ;  the 
more  he  struggled  the  more  tenaciously  did  the  keeper  hold  his 
tail,  explaining  meanwhile  that  so  long  as  the  reptile  was  con- 
trolled in  that  fashion  there  was  no  clanger  of  its  doing  mis- 
chief ;  then,  just  as  its  rage  was  becoming  ungovernable,  the  man 
lifted  it  quickly,  and  with  a  jerk  deposited  it  in  the  box.  Its 
companion  was  now  taken  out  in  similar  manner,  and  slapped 
and  buffeted  till  throughout  its  entire  length,  some  twelve  feet, 
it  quivered  with  passion,  but  all  to  no  purpose  ;  it,  too,  was  pre- 
sently replaced  in  the  cage,  and  shut  up  to  hiss  at  its  leisure. 

The  fact  that  an  ophiophagus  is  in  the  Regent's  Park  Zoo- 
logical Gardens,  rendered  the  next  exhibition  more  interesting, 
although  it  may  be  doubted  whether  the  sudden  throwing  into 
so  small  a  room  of  a  snake  seven  feet  long  was  agreeable  to  the 
visitors.  However,  there  was  really  no  danger,  for  the  veno- 
mous creature  was  so  completely  in  its  keeper's  power  that  we 
had  no  occasion  for  fear.  One  bite  from  the  reptile,  and  any 
one  of  us  would  have  been  dead  in  five  minutes,  for  it  was 
exceptionally  strong  and  lively;  but  it  was  no  more  able  to  bite 
us  than  the  little  mongoose  caged  outside  the  door.  Up  rose 
its  head,  out  came  its  slithering  tongue,  its  eyes  dilated,  its 
huge  throat  swelled,  and  all  seemed  ready  for  a  desperate 
attack,  when  the  keeper  struck  the  reptile's  mouth  with  the 
back  of  his  hand,  and,  before  it  could  strike  him,  had  seized  it 
just  under  the  head.  Then  it  struggled,  but  only  to  get  away 
— it  had  met  that  native  before,-  and  did  not  at  all  approve  of  his 
treatment.  The  other  native  now  seized  its  centre  and  tail, 
and,  without  more  ado,  the  terrible  creature  was  hoisted  into 


POLO-PLATING  AND  SNAKE-CHARMING.      191 

the  air  as  harmless  as  a  butterfly,  and  its  fangs  exposed  by  the 
aid  of  a  small  piece  of  wire.  Those  teeth  were  literally  full  of 
poison — enough  to  have  killed  a  dozen  persons.  At  length, 
our  curiosity  satisfied,  this  monster  was  put  into  his  cage,  and 
his  brother  plucked  out  by  the  naked  native,  with  the  hand, 
and  thrown  on  the  floor.  He,  too,  was  truculent  for  a  minute, 
endeavouring  to  follow  the  unpantalooned  Hindoo  round  the 
room;  but  he  had  reckoned  without  his  host,  or  rather  his 
keeper,  for  he  was  seized  presently  by  the  tail  and  hoisted  up 
just  as  the  other  had  been.  In  vain  he  hissed  and  spat.  His 
tongue  might  move  in  and  out  as  often  as  it  pleased,  but  all  to 
no  purpose ;  whether  on  the  floor  or  in  the  air  its  efforts  to  bite 
were  perfectly  unavailing,  and  when  the  cage  was  opened  it 
slunk  in,  a  disconcerted  serpent. 

A  cobra  was  the  next  to  be  turned  out,  a  strong,  healthy 
snake,  nearly  five  feet  in  length,  with  a  hood  the  power  of  mov- 
ing which  somewhat  startled  us.  But  move  as  it  might,  the 
agile  native  was  too  quick  for  it.  He  would  put  his  knee 
within  a  foot  of  it,  as  it  stood  up  ready  to  strike,  and  it  would 
make  a  dart  as  futile,  however,  as  it  was  sudden.  Then  it 
would  hiss,  as  though  hoping  to  frighten  its  adversary;  it  might 
as  well  have  hissed  at  the  wall.  And,  just  when  it  had  got  up 
again,  and  was  so  enraged  that  it  could  scarcely  wait  for  a  good 
opportunity  to  strike  at  the  native's  knee,  which  was  moving 
before  it  in  a  most  tantalizing  manner,  the  keeper's  hand  was 
quietly  placed  under  its  head,  and  it  was  removed  like  its  pre- 
decessors. "  Will  it  bite  V  I  asked.  "  See,"  said  the  native. 
Taking  up  a  piece  of  bamboo  stretched  across  a  shell,  he  held 
the  wood  to  the  serpent's  mouth.  Instantly  the  reptile  seized 
the  proffered  bait,  its  eyes  glistening,  its  neck  distended,  and 
crunched  the  wood  as  though  it  was  tinder.  Two  or  three 
moments  elapsed  as  the  teeth  penetrated  further  into  the  fibre, 
and  then  we  saw  the  poison  falling  in  white  drops  into  the 
shell,  which  acted  as  a  kind  of  saucer.     I  was  particular  in 


192  WITH  THE  PBINCE  IN  INDIA. 

noticing  two  points  in  regard  to  this  incident :  first,  that  the 
poison  did  not  come  from  the  fangs  immediately  the  bite  was 
inflicted — a  fact  which  will  account  for  the  mongoose  living 
sometimes  after  he  is  bitten  by  the  cobra;  and,  next,  that  the 
quantity  of  venom  emitted  was  much  greater  than  is  generally 
supposed.  There  were  five  or  six  large  white  drops  in  the  shell, 
and  probably  one  or  two  absorbed  in  the  bamboo.  When  forced 
to  surrender  the  wood  the  serpent  seemed  by  no  means  ex- 
hausted ;  the  fibre  was  much  torn,  for  the  teeth  had  penetrated 
nearly  a  quarter  of  an  inch. 

For  all  that,  I  should  mention  that  when  presently  another 
cobra  equally  large  was  examined,  it  was  shown  that  the  teeth 
were  set  back  some  distance  in  the  head,  and  that  they  were  by 
no  means  so  large  as  those  of  a  viper  which  was  shown  after- 
wards, and  which  was  so  quick  in  its  movements  that  it  had  to 
be  lifted  out  of  its  box  by  means  of  a  hooked  stick.  Cobras 
and  ophiophagi  might  be  seized  by  the  hand,  but  not  so  this 
huge  viper,  which  made  such  desperate  attempts  to  strike  one 
or  two  of  us,  that  we  were  by  no  means  sorry  when  the  keeper 
seized  him  by  the  neck  and  tail  and  opened  his  mouth.  His 
fangs  were  undoubtedly  large — larger  than  the  cobra's  by  one 
half,  and  very  strong.  They  must  have  contained  a  great 
quantity  of  venom.  However,  he  was  not  invited  to  try  them, 
and  by  the  time  he  got  back  into  his  box,  was,  I  think,  heartily 
tired  of  the  exhibition.  A  Russell  snake,  with  a  golden  spotted 
back,  was  the  next  on  the  floor,  and  it  hissed  violently,  but  was 
taken  up  just  as  easily  as  the  others  after  it  had  been  provoked 
to  a  great  rage  for  several  minutes.  A  korite,  proverbially 
deadly,  had  been  played  so  many  tricks  before  that  it  was  slow 
to  take  part  in  the  fun.  Once  or  twice  it  struck  viciously  at 
the  keeper,  but  without  any  effect,  and  at  last  ceased  to  make 
any  effort  to  bite  the  Hindoo.  There  was  no  need  to  play  a 
pipe  or  tom-tom  to  awe  that  snake.  It  was  only  too  glad  to  get 
away  into  his  blanket  and  box  again. 


POLO-PLAYING  AND  SNAKE-CHARMING.      193 

The  exhibition  was  ended  by  the  showing  a  biscobra,  or  small 
guava.  What  cared  we  for  a  wretched  snake-charmer,  who, 
with  a  few  serpents  whose  fangs  had  been  abstracted,  a  lot  of  pipes 
and  charming  sticks,  and  all  kinds  of  protections,  waited  out- 
side, and  offered  to  give  us  an  entertainment  1  After  such  an 
exhibition  as  we  had  witnessed  the  cleverest  snake-charmer  was 
the  merest  impostor.  Passing  across  the  grounds,  a  valuable 
piece  of  information  was  given  us.  Chained  to  a  wall  was  a 
pariah  dog,  with  a  severe  wound  on  one  of  its  legs.  This  animal, 
we  were  informed,  had  been  experimented  upon  by  Dr.  Wall 
with  wonderful  success ;  a  large  quantity  of  cobra  poison  had 
been  injected  under  its  skin,  and  yet  it  had  been  recovered  by  an 
antidote  which  Dr.  Wall  is  said  to  have  discovered.  More  may 
probably  be  heard  of  this.  In  the  hospital  visitors'  book  was  a 
note  in  the  writing  of  the  Prince  :  "lam  very  much  pleased 
with  the  hospital,  which  I  find  in  good  order,  and  well  venti- 
lated. Albert  Edward,  Jan.  1.," — the  signature  of  the  Duke 
of  Sutherland  being  also  appended.  A  little  lower  down  was  a 
similar  certificate  from  Dr.  Fayrer.  The  hospital  certainly 
deserves  the  highest  encomium. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A  CAPTIVE    KING. 

Wajid  Alee,  ex-King  of  Oude,  is  too  well  known  in  history 
to  need  much  description;  but  of  what  sort  is  the  ftoyal 
prison  in  which  he  is  now  confined  very  few  out  of  the  pre- 
cincts of  Calcutta  appear  to  have  any  idea ;  and  it  was  with 
this  impression  that  I  accepted  the  kind  permission  of  Colonel 
Mowbray  Thompson  to  visit  the  residence  of  the  ex-King. 

A  drive  of  nearly  an  hour  by  the  side  of  the  Hooghly  brought 
me  to  an  imposing  gateway,  guarded  by  troops.  Not  English 
soldiers,  mark,  nor,  indeed,  sepoys  in  English  pay,  but  men 
belonging  to  his  ex-Majesty  of  Oude,  of  the  same  type  and 
costume  as  those  good  fellows  who  committed  the  butcheries 
at  Cawnpore  and  elsewhere.  However,  they  were  undoubtedly 
civil,  and  I  was  quickly  admitted  to  what  at  first  sight  ap- 
peared to  be  an  admirably  designed  garden.  I  think  it  is  Miss 
Carpenter  who  advocates  the  plan  of  endeavouring  to  reform 
criminals  by  making  delightful  residences  of  gaols.  If  her 
theory  is  right,  Wajid  Alee  should  certainly  be  reformed  by 
this  time,  for  a  more  lovely  succession  of  groves,  parterres, 
miniature  park-like  plots  of  grass  and  pleasant  terraces  I  have 
never  seen.  And  what  was  more  astonishing  still  to  me  was 
to  discover  in  these  grounds  a  zoological  collection  surpassing 
in  many  respects  the  grand  menagerie  in  Regent's  Park.  At 
first  the  prospect,  however,  was  forgotten  for  a  moment  in  the 
contemplation  of  one  of  those  extraordinary  pictures  for  which 
India  is  famous.  Hung  in  a  large  window  in  such  a  manner 
that  all  its  beauty,  or  rather  ugliness,  should  burst  upon  the 
spectator  at  once,  this  wonderful  daub  portrayed  a  battle-piece, 


A    CAPTIVE   KING.  195 

of  whick  the  locale  might  perhaps  be  the  Crimea.  One  thing 
was  charming  abont  the  object,  and  only  one — its  absolute  im- 
partiality. A  Russian  officer,  with  a  lobster-coloured  face,  was 
cutting  down  a  French  soldier ;  while  an  English  infantryman 
was  bayoneting  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner  a  Russian  who 
had  injudiciously  planted  his  back  against  the  side  of  a  gun. 
I  think  the  fight  might  be  described  as  ending  in  the  defeat  of 
the  French  by  the  Russians  and  the  rout  of  the  Russians  by 
the  English,  which  doubtless  appeared  the  most  satisfactory 
result  of  the  struggle  to  the  artist  engaged. 

A  step  more,  and  the  celebrated  pigeons  of  the  ex-King  were 
in  full  view.  I  do  not  wonder  at  their  being  famous ;  you  in 
England  have  no  idea  of  what  Wajid  Alee  has  achieved.  It 
would  be  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  many  scores  of  varieties, 
most  of  them  surpassingly  beautiful,  appear  in  every  direction. 
I  am  not  an  ornithologist — I  do  not  know  the  name  of  a  single 
pigeon ;  yet  my  uninstructed  eye  was  delighted  with  the  success 
of  the  Royal  breeder.  If  he  did  not  succeed  as  a  potentate,  it 
was  because  he  was  accidentally  placed  in  a  position  for  which 
nature  did  not  intend  him.  He  should  have  been  a  gentleman 
of  moderate  means  residing  somewhere  in  the  South  of  Eng- 
land; his  skill  and  his  patience  would  have  astonished  his  rivals; 
he  would  have  gained  prizes  everywhere,  and  everybody  would 
have  united  to  praise  him.  He  was  unfortunately  a  King, 
and  all  his  excellencies  are  forgotten  in  the  one  fact  that 
he  was  a  Royal  failure.  He  is  as  fond  of  the  birds  as  ever, 
and  here,  in  the  centre  of  the  garden  set  apart  for  them,  has  a 
pretty  little  bungalow,  furnished  in  Oriental  fashion,  with  a 
couch  at  each  window,  on  which  he  can  recline  and  look  at  the 
pets  that  brought  him  into  trouble.  There  are  not  many  men 
who,  if  they  lost  a  kingdom  for  the  sake  of  pigeon-breeding, 
would  take  great  pleasure  in  that  particular  hobby  afterwards. 
Thus  thinking,  we  passed  into  another  garden,  walled  in,  and 
in  its  centre  boasting  of  a  marble  tank  of  extraordinary  dimen- 


196  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA.  H 

sions.  I  should  say,  roughly  speaking,  that  it  is  a  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  square ;  it  is  very  deep,  the  water  is  clear,  and  on 
its  surface  and  at  its  sides  are  ducks  cud  fowl  of  all  kinds. 
Scores  of  pelicans,  divers,  teal,  swans,  curious  ducks  with  won- 
derful plumage,  storks,  cranes,  and  peacocks  wander  all  over 
the  garden  or  go  to  the  tank  as  they  please.  They  are  in  no 
confined  cage,  cramped  up  in  a  space  of  twenty  feet  square  as 
in  London,  but  roam  all  about  the  delightful  square  in  the 
bright  sunshine,  chirping,  cackling,  hissing,  and  chattering,  and 
withal  as  happy  as  though  all  the  world  was  before  them.. 
Here  and  there  an  unruly  one  is  confined  in  a  large  pagoda-like 
cage  till  he  learns  to  do  well ;  but  these  moral  lessons  do  not 
appear  to  be  often  needed,  for  there  are  only  some  twenty 
ne'er-do-wells  in  custody.  Perhaps  the  prisoner  of  Oude  is 
tender  to  evil-doers. 

Our  next  step  was  into  another  walled-off  space  which  is 
evfcn  more  noteworthy.  Here  there  are  several  large  tanks, 
trees  of  abundant  foliage  offer  opportunities  of  shade,  and  lux- 
uriant climbing  plants  cover  the  sides  of  the  enclosure.  Here 
are  buffaloes,  goats,  deer,  and  almost  every  species  of  herbivor- 
ous animal  in  nature,  and  the  larger  birds  as  well.  As  you 
stand  under  a  tree  you  may  be  gently  brushed  by  the  feathers 
of  a  passing  ostrich,  who  winks  at  you  confidentially  as  he 
makes  his  way  to  a  choice  box  of  food  he  sees  at  a  little  dis- 
tance, and  which  a  cousin  for  whom  it  was  brought  has  not 
noticed  yet ;  or  you  may  be  prodded  in  the  back  by  the  horn 
of  a  sacred  bull  as  he  hints  to  you  the  necessity  of  getting  out 
of  his  way.  Indeed,  if  you  would  avoid  having  to  beg  the  par- 
don of  a  resident  bird  or  beast,  you  must  be  careful  not  to  walk 
about  quickly,  for  they  are  all  around  you,  and,  as  the  weather 
is  exceedingly  pleasant,  are  apparently  taking  a  "constitutional" 
preparatory  to  the  afternoon  dinner.  It  is  a  grand  idea  of  the 
ex-King  to  give  his  mute  subjects  so  much  liberty;  human 
beings  would  not  have  had  the  same  amount  had  the  mutiny 


A    CAPTIVE  KING.  197 

succeeded  and  he  remained  at  Lucknow.  But  that  is  a  detail 
into  which  we  need  not  enquire  too  deeply.  Less  fortunate 
are  the  feras  which  are  in  an  adjoining  enclosure.  It  clearly 
would  be  a  mistake  to  let  half-a-dozen  energetic  panthers,  or  a 
leopard  or  two,  loose  in  any  garden,  particularly  if  visitors 
were  invited  to  enter  promiscuously.  I  saw  a  couple  of  chee- 
tahs in  a  cage  who  would  soon  clear  the  place  of  its  attendants 
— three  Rajahs,  who,  in  purple  and  gold,  were  seated  comfort- 
ably under  an  arbour,  and  a  Hindoo  gentlemen,  who  was 
apparently  engaged  in  worshipping  the  sacred  Beble  tree.  Of 
tigers,  there  are,  singularly  enough,  none ;  the  two  that  were 
here  have  just  died ;  but  there  is  a  pair  of  wolves  who  would 
do  nearly  as  much  mischief  if  turned  loose,  and,  fastened  under 
a  tree  by  a  strong  iron  chain,  is  an  enormous  stag,  with  antlers 
nearly  two  yards  long,  who  would  be  only  too  happy  to  be  lib- 
erated for  a  moment;  indeed,  he  made  several  attempts  to 
reach  the  Hindoo  gentleman,  but  fortunately  failed.  Of  jackals, 
too,  there  are  some  good  specimens,  but  that  is  a  superfluity, 
for  you  can  see  as  many  as  you  wish  any  night  in  the  less-fre- 
quented streets  of  Calcutta,  and  will  certainly  be  awakened  by 
them  unless  you  live  in  the  busiest  part  of  the  city.  Hyenas 
and  foxes,  porcupines,  and  many  other  uncomfortable  animals, 
from  the  lion  to  the  mongoose,  are  here,  and,  if  this  collection 
is  not  so  large  as  the  other,  its  deficiencies  are  more  than  com- 
pensated for  by  what  we  next  see. 

In  the  centre  of  another  garden,  beautifully  laid  out,  and 
superior  in  point  of  style  to  most  of  those  in  England  or  France, 
there  is  a  structure  of  singular  description.  In  form  at  a  short 
distance  it  looks  like  a  magnified  ant-hill,  in  three  conical 
portions,  and  the  fact  that  its  sides  are  full  of  round  holes  confirms 
for  a  moment  the  suspicion  that  it  has  been  produced  by  some 
huge  insects,  and  must  now  be  their  abode.  But  it  is  nothing 
of  the  sort.  Constructed  with  enormous  care,  this  extraordinary 
building  is  seen  on  closer  inspection  to  be  the  work  of  human 


198  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

hands.  Its  base  is  fixed  in  a  large  square  well,  and  is  surrounded 
by  water ;  you  note,  too,  that  the  sides  of  the  excavation  arch 
inward,  as  though  to  prevent  the  escape  of  something  or  other, 
but  of  what  it  is  not  very  clear.  All  over  these  cones,  which 
rise  to  a  height  of  about  thirty  feet,  and  are  more  than  six  times 
that  distance  in  circumference,  are  little  spikes  of  iron ;  the 
holes  are  about  three  inches  in  diameter,  and  are  very  numerous. 
While  we  are  wondering  what  can  be  the  use  of  this  building, 
our  eyes  light  on  a  couple  of  big  cages  in  the  centre,  looking 
into  which  we  descry  two  of  the  largest  pythons  ever  captured. 
At  a  rough  guess  they  must  be  thirty  or  forty  feet  long,  and 
their  bulk  is  tremendous.  We  at  once  divine  that  the  structure 
is  a  snake-house,  and,  looking  up  again,  remark  that  in  almost 
every  hole  the  head  of  a  snake  may  be  seen.  While  we  watch, 
too,  a  long  cobra  slowly  emerges  into  the  sunlight,  clasps  one  of 
the  iron  spikes  by  its  tail,  and  so  swings  himself  into  an  opening 
a  little  lower  down.  Every  minute,  too,  serpents  are  to  be 
seen  moving  in  and  out  as  though  they  are  engaged  in  morning 
calls  or  shopping.  It  is  by  no  means  a  pleasant  idea  that 
creeps  over  us  just  then.  What  if  that  arched  wall  and  narrow 
stream  of  water  failed  to  suffice  for  the  imprisonment  of  these 
animals  1  There  are  five  hundred  of  them  in  all,  of  which  I 
learn  that  half  are  venomous,  and  they  all  look  strong  and 
healthy  enough  when  two  men  come  up  with  some  baskets  of 
frogs,  and  throw  the  chirping  struggling  creatures  to  the  snakes. 
Out  rushes  every  member  of  the  colony,  and,  for  a  few  moments 
the  frogs  have  a  very  uncomfortable  time.  Some  of  them  are 
seized  by  two  serpents  at  once,  and  are  rent  in  halves  forthwith  ; 
some  are  bolted  before  they  have  time  to  jump  an  inch,  and  all 
of  them  are  disposed  of  in  ten  minutes.  Then  the  snakes  go 
back  to  their  holes,  some  pieces  of  meat  are  given  to  the  pythons, 
and  you  move  away.  Not  out  of  the  gardens  yet,  however,  for 
we  must  first  of  all  go  through  an  immense  series  of  huge  cages, 
full  of  small  birds  of  lovely  and  varied  plumage,  and  past 


A    CAPTIVE   KING.  199 

another  of  the  six  residences  belonging  to  the  Maharajah. 
There  is  little  here,  however,  that  we  do  not  see  in  every  rich 
Hindoo's  house;  scores  of  shilling  German-manufactured  coloured 
prints  representing  girls  smoking  cigarettes,  the  Madonna  and 
Child,  the  Emperor  William,  and  Teuton  farmers  and  dairy- 
maids ;  a  collection  of  chandeliers,  such  as  would  fill  a  large 
shop,  and  a  great  number  of  couches.  Gubbins,  in  his 
"  Mutinies  of  Oude,"  says  that  Wajid  Alee  was  a  man  of  con- 
siderable taste.  If  that  is  so,  he  must  have  left  the  furnishing 
of  his  domicile  to  some  such  genius  as  he  who  decorated  the 
palaces  of  the  Guicowar  of  Baroda.  The  gardens,  the  zoological 
collection,  the  bungalows  themselves,  are  well-nigh  enchanting ; 
and  we  are  careful  not  to  lose  so  pleasant  an  impression  by  a 
prolonged  inspection  of  the  interior  of  the  habitations.  In  such 
a  mood  we  pass  once  more  through  the  gateway,  leaving  the  ex- 
King  of  Oude  alone  in  his  glory. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

LIFE   IN   CALCUTTA. 

It  has  been  properly  remarked  that  a  ball  is  a  ball  all  the 
world  over.  There  is  the  eternal  quadrille  to  begin  with ;  you 
are  sure  to  waltz,  galop,  and  polka;  and  although  now  and  then 
the  air  may  be  different,  the  measure  is  the  same,  and  such  a 
thing  as  a  new  kind  of  dance  seems  unknown  to  the  polished 
floor  of  conventional  society.  For  this  reason  it  is  absolutely 
unnecessary  to  describe  at  any  length  the  ball  which  was  given 
at  Government  House,  Calcutta.  That  the  Prince  danced 
heartily  and  laughed  merrily,  that  there  was  a  tremendous 
crush  in  ball-room  and  supper-room  alike,  and  that  the  tune  of 
"  We  won't  go  home  till  morning "  might  have  been  appro- 
priately hummed  by  everybody  present,  is  all  that  need  be  said. 
But  a  garden  party  at  Calcutta  is  a  different  thing  from  an 
English  fete  champetre.  At  a  garden  party  at  home  you  have 
the  same  pathways  to  traverse,  the  same  flower-beds  to  admire, 
the  same  people  to  converse  with,  the  same  tent  for  champagne 
and  ice,  time  after  time ;  the  same  band  plays  the  same  tunes ; 
you  go  at  the  same  hour  and  you  leave  at  the  same  moment ; 
there  is  nothing  fresh  except  the  breeze,  which  makes  a  garden 
party  pleasant.  In  India  all  this  is  reversed.  Let  us  repair 
to  Belvedere,  the  residence  of  Sir  Richard  Temple,  Lieutenant 
Governor  of  the  Bengal  Presidency. 

Unless  you  have  been  in  an  Indian  equestrian  crowd  before, 
your  patience  will  be  sorely  tried.  Oriental  imperturbability 
may  not  be  yours,  any  more  than  it  belongs  to  an  artillery 
officer  who  is  close  to  us,  and  who  is  just  now  yelling  at  his 
driver.     A  thousand  vehicles  of  all  kinds  are  jammed  together 


LIFE  IN    CALCUTTA.  201 

in  a  very  narrow  road,  and  can  only  move  over  the  ground  at  a 
snail's  pace.  Even  the  Maharajah  of  Benares,  all  unused  as  he 
is  to  being  stopped  anywhere,  sees  that  it  is  useless  to  storm, 
and,  leaning  back,  lets  a  benign  smile  play  upon  his  counten- 
ance. He  knows  Sir  Salar  Jung  is  a  good  forty  feet  ahead  of 
him,  and  will  get  the  best  seat  in  the  gardens  without  fail,  yet 
he  never  fumes  nor  frowns.  Very  differently  does  a  particularly 
fat  Bajah  in  a  very  small  gig  behave.  The  gentleman  who  has 
the  honour  of  driving  his  horses  has  a  sore  back,  I  trow,  by  this 
time  ;  the  Rajah's  stick  has  been  by  no  means  idle  for  the  last 
five  minutes.  I  do  not  see  the  Maharajah  of  Cashmere,  how- 
ever, although  he  is  yet  a  great  distance  from  the  gate,  confer- 
ring any  such  distinction  upon  anybody.  He  is  apparently 
only  too  delighted  with  the  novelty  of  the  scene  to  wish  to  be 
out  of  it  for  a  moment ;  and  the  three  stout  sons  of  Jung  Baha- 
door  are  models  of  patient  bearing.  Not  so  a  civilian  official 
in  the  next  carriage  to  us,  who  is  in  a  frenzy  of  fear  lest  he 
"shall  miss  the  opportunity  of  displaying  himself.  If  he  could 
see  himself  as  others  see  him,  he  might  perchance  sit  down 
quietly ;  as  it  is,  he  gesticulates  as  violently  as  though  he  were 
endeavouring  to  address  a  noisy  constituency  from  a  very  high 
hustings.  However,  he  is  kept  in  countenance  by  a  hundred 
others  who  are  behaving  in  pretty  much  the  same  manner,  and 
one  only  wishes  that  a  photograph  could  be  taken  of  fashionable 
Calcutta  going  to  Sir  Richard  Temple's  garden  party.  At  last 
the  gateway  is  reached,  a  ticket  is  given  your  carriage — which, 
by  the  way,  you  see  no  more — and  you  pass  over  a  carpeted 
walk  on  to  a  grass  plateau.  Possibly  after  three  hours  spent  in 
gaining  the  gardens,  the  refreshment  tent,  which  is  pretty  much 
like  what  one  would  see  in  England,  offers  most  attraction,  were 
it  not  that  the  sound  of  the  tom-tom  is  heard.  It  is  certain  to 
be  the  accompaniment  of  some  entertainment ;  the  sound  of  a 
gong  in  a  well-ordered  house  no  more  surely  betokens  dinner 
than  does  the  noise  of  the  black  man's  thumb  and  fingers  on  the 

13 


202  WITH  TEE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

tightly-drawn  parchment,  performances  more  or  less  amusing. 
Besides,  yonder  wide  circle  of  people,  all  craning  their  necks 
forward,  betokens  what  the  vulgar  would  call  "high  jinks." 
Jinks,  indeed,  they  are  too — pretty  much  such  as  one  would  ex- 
pect to  see  were  the  inmates  of  Dante's  Inferno  giving  a  holi- 
day, and  urged  to  lose  no  time  but  be  merry. 

At  a  moment  when  we  enter  the  crowd,  about  a  dozen  of  the 
most  hideously-arrayed  natives  are  engaged  in  a  dance.  To 
dance  before  the  Prince— who,  by  the  way  is  seated  on  one  side 
of  the  enclosure,  with  the  Viceroy,  the.  Governor  of  Ceylon, 
Miss  Baring,  and  a  host  of  Maharajahs  on  one  hand  or  the  other 
— Sir  Richard  Temple  has  forty  or  fifty  men  and  women,  not 
all  attired  exactly  alike,  but  varying  their  costume  according  to 
their  individual  taste.  Some  wear  their  hair  very  long,  reach- 
ing down  to  their  waists,  and  adequately  supplied  with  the 
stickiest  of  mud ;  others  are  cropped  as  closely  as  though  the 
whole  period  of  their  dubious  lives  had  been  past  in  a  convict 
prison.  Some  bind  their  foreheads  with  rings  of  metal,  others 
wear  an  arrangement  of  coloured  feathers  that  would  move  an 
Ojibbeway  to  a  paroxysm  of  envy.  In  the  matter  of  paint- 
ing, too,  they  are  not  guided  by  any  hard  and  fast  social  line, 
but  are  allowed  to  be  as  artistic  and  prodigal  of  paint  as  they 
please,  which  also  produces  an  effect  all  its  own.  The  weapons 
differ  as  widely  as  the  attire ;  some  have  bows  and  arrows,  some 
swords  of  a  cumbersome  and  ugly  pattern ;  others  again  hide  a 
club  behind  their  backs,  or  clasp  the  handles  of  small  daggers. 
In  facial  expression,  however,  they  are  very  much  alike ;  they 
come  from  the  hills  of  Assam,  and  are  therefore  Mongolians, 
though  not  of  pure  blood.  We  hear  various  bystanders  be- 
stowing upon  them  all  kinds  of  technical  names ;  but  as  these 
authorities  differ  amongst  themselves,  and  are  moreover  not  at 
all  likely  to  be  right,  we  leave  that  detail  and  watch  the  dance. 
We  are  told  that  the  twelve  fellows  who  are  now  jumping 
about  in  front  of  the  Prince  are  illustrating  their  mode  of  at- 


LIFE  IN  CALCUTTA.  203 

tempting  to  avoid  the  arrows  of  their  enemies.  They  could  not 
make  more  ugly  contortions  of  face  or  body  if  their  enemies' 
arrows  hit  them.  When  they  move  off,  they  are  replaced  by 
some  of  their  musical  kinsfolk,  who  pipe  and  tom-tom  for  five 
minutes,  and  then  are  induced  to  pack  up  and  begone,  only  to 
be  followed,  however,  by  four  other  musicians  who  come  up 
with  a  kind  of  three-stringed  fiddle  and  scrape  away  with  great 
energy.  They,  too,  have  leave  to  retire,  whereupon  another 
posse  of  savages  hop  into  the  ring,  and  are  beginning  to  dance, 
when  the  Prince,  always  patient,  but  now  very  tired,  rises,  and, 
leading  the  way  to  the  refreshment  tent,  stops  the  performance. 
Night  is  coming  on,  the  sun  is  down;  and  all  around  us,  light- 
ing up  the  Lieutenant-Governor's  mansion,  his  trees,  his  ponds, 
and  his  gravel- walks,  are  almost  innumerable  oil-lamps.  It  is 
a  happy  finish  to  the  spectacle  in  the  ring  ;  and  though  we  may 
have  to  wait  hours  for  our  carriage,  or  possibly  walk  home  five 
or  six  miles  in  consequence  of  not  finding  it,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  Sir  Richard  Temple's  garden  party  has  been  a 
novelty  and  a  success. 

Whatever  else  is  missed,  native  entertainments  given  to  the 
Prince  must  be  attended.  With  a  feeling  of  this  sort  I  quitted 
a  dinner  table  at  which  sat  the  most  genial  of  company,  to  pene- 
trate the  native  town  and  to  discover  the  place  known  as  Bel- 
gatchia  Villa.  Its  history  alone— printed  on  a  large  sheet  of 
paper — could  not  have  warranted  any  extraordinary  effort, 
although  to  a  native  the  record  was  doubtles  flattering.  The 
place  had  at  one  time  belonged  to  a  gentleman  with  the  name 
the  spelling  and  pronunciation  of  which  might  take  rank  as  a 
puzzle,  who  once  had  the  honour  of  entertaining  Lord  Auckland. 
To  please  this  excellent  native,  the  kindly  Governor-General 
went,  it  appears,  in  a  grand  style,  "  making,"  to  quote  an  extant 
letter  of  his  sister,  "  all  the  noise  we  could ;"  and,  as  such 
another  trip  to  the  Belgatchia  Villa  would  please  the  natives 
exceedingly,  the  Prince  determined  to  go  to  the  fete. 


204  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

There  is  a  great  deal  in  an  attractive  programme.  That 
issued  by  the  managers  of  the  fete  was  uncommonly  attractive. 
A  present  was  to  be  made  to  the  Prince ;  his  Royal  Highness 
was  to  be  "  blessed"  in  a  Jajur  Vedic  Mantra — whatever  that 
might  be — by  three  Yedic  students;  a  gentleman  who  called 
himself  Pandit  Satyavrata  Samaswami,  had  promised  to  chant 
a  hymn ;  four  native  amateurs  had  volunteered  to  sing  a  wel- 
come song  in  Bengali ;  a  native  musical  concert  was  down  on 
the  list,  after  which  the  Baboo  Kally  Prosmo  Bannerjee  was 
to  play  on  two  flutes  at  once  by  blowing,  not  with  his  mouth, 
but  with  his  neck,  and  another  gentleman,  named  Gopal 
Chuckerbutty,  was  to  sing  a  song.  I  hope  I  shall  never  hear 
Chuckerbutty  sing  any  more.  A  trio  on  the  sitar  was  pro- 
mised by  three  other  native  instrumentalists ;  a  Nautch  dance, 
a  supper,  and  fireworks  were  moreover  announced. 

To  hear  the  music,  and  see  the  Prince,  nearly  two  thousand 
natives  had  assembled,  in  a  hall  built  expressly  for  the  purpose, 
near  the  villa,  nearly  two  hours  before  the  arrival  of  the  Prince. 
The  apartment  itself  would  bear  some  inspection,  with  its  blue 
star-spangled  roof,  and  its  green  star-spangled  pillars.  The 
arrangement  of  the  place  was  a  little  peculiar  too.  For  the 
Prince  a  throne,  with  two  chairs  on  either  side,  was  placed, 
with  tiers  of  seats  behind,  rising  one  above  another,  intended 
for  the  use  of  the  Prince's  suite.  Facing  the  carpeted  gangway 
which  led  to  the  throne,  and  was  not  very  wide,  were  the  seats, 
in  equal  numbers  on  each  side,  whereon  visitors  sat.  There 
was  no  platform,  no  raised  dais  for  the  performers — simply  the 
pathway ;  the  result  being  that  of  the  performance  itself  scarcely 
anybody  but  the  Prince  and  his  attendants  saw  anything.  Long 
before  the  entertainment  began  there  was  a  great  excitement 
amongst  the  managers.  Baboos  were  flitting  about  hither  and 
thither,  as  though  they  had  to  march  up  and  down  the  hall  a 
certain  number  of  times  before  the  Prince  arrived,  and  were 
afraid  their  task  would  scarcely  be  completed.    More  objection- 


LIFE  IN   CALCUTTA.  205 

able,  perhaps,  than  their  continual  movement,  was  a  constant, 
droning  sound,  which  penetrated  the  building,  and  told  of 
Baboos  and  instrumentalists  rehearsing  their  music.  Was  it  the 
sultan  Mahmoud  who  delighted  in  the  noise  of  fiddle-tuning  1 
He  would  have  been  enchanted  with  the  preparations  of  our 
Hindoo  musicians.  We,  whose  tastes  were  not  thus  educated, 
were  less  pleased. 

At  length  the  Prince's  arrival  was  heralded  by  a  fanfare  of 
trumpets  outside ;  we  could  hear  an  order  given  to  the  Sikh 
regiment,  drawn  up  at  the  door,  to  present  arms,  and  then  in 
came  the  Prince,  leading  Miss  Baring,  and  followed  by  the 
Viceroy,  Sir  William  Gregory,  and  most  of  the  minor  members 
of  his  suite.  The  Duke  of  Sutherland  came  later.  You  may 
now  spend  a  moment  in  looking  at  the  audience.  Yonder  is 
Sir  Richard  Temple  in  a  cocked  hat  and  feathers  of  wonderful 
dimensions,  just  such  a  hat,  in  fact,  as  an  alderman  might  view 
with  envy ;  hard  by  is  the  descendant  of  Tippoo  Sahib,  with  a 
sort  of  Lutheran  hat  on  his  head,  but  a  dress  as  unlike  that  of 
the  sober-minded  German  reformer  as  may  well  be.  Still  that 
solemn  face  and  that  velvet  cap  cannot  be  disassociated  from 
the  idea.  It  is  Luther  still;  but  Luther  going  to  races  or  a 
ball.  He  would  have  been  the  last  man  in  the  world  to  wear 
cloth  of  gold  in  a  church,  whatever  his  Protestant  followers  may 
do  nowadays.  And  then,  seated  quite  with  a  crowd — it  is  a 
very  fashionable,  albeit  native  crowd — is  the  Maharajah  of 
Jheend ;  an  ancient  gentleman,  with  a  long  beard,  who  delights 
in  a  golden  turban  and  a  white  dress.  He  is  not  alone  in  his 
princely  glory ;  for  there  are  at  least  twenty  of  his  compeers 
here ;  the  Maharajah  of  Travancore  is  not  twenty  feet  away, 
and  his  Highness  of  Cashmere  is  close  by,  smiling  as  pleasantly 
as  ever.  I  fancy  the  aged  chieftain  of  Benares  is,  after  all,  the 
happiest.  How  he  rubs  his  hands,  and  peers  through  his 
spectacles  at  all  that  is  going  on  around  him.  I  verily  believe 
that  even  the  Baboos,  who  are  hopping  past  us  every  moment, 


206  WITH  TEE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

and  whose  claim  to  be  elected  to  the  Wanderers'  Club  should 
be  incontestable,  please  him.  Why  should  he  not  enjoy  it  all  % 
Time,  which  has  dealt  kindly  with  him,  cannot  long  continue 
its  favours.  In  looking  at  his  happy  face  one  almost  forgets 
the  banging  and  cracking  that  are  going  on  outdoors.  When 
the  Prince  visited  Kandy,  gallant  Captain  Byrde,  who  had  no 
cannon,  and  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  receiving  a  Prince  with- 
out a  Royal  salute,  manufactured  twenty-one  bamboo  guns, 
and,  filling  them  with  powder,  burst  them  one  after  another  in 
honour  of  the  Royal  traveller.  So,  too,  at  Baroda  Station,  the 
traffic  superintendent,  also  a  man  of  resource,  laid  fog  signals 
on  the  line  over  which  the  Royal  train  ran,  and  thus  caused 
sufficient  noise  to  satisfy  the  most  exigeant.  Outside  the  hall 
to-night  they  are  doing  something  of  the  sort,  and  the  delighted 
countenances  of  the  managers  show  that  the  noise  is  quite 
equalling  their  most  sanguine  anticipations.  Inside,  just  in 
front  of  the  Prince,  the  three  Vedic  students  are  going  through 
their  "  blessing,"  an  edifying  process,  of  which  we  cannot  catch 
a  word.  Directly  after  these  are  gone  the  hymn  is  chanted 
from  the  Sama  Veda. 

I  think  I  might  be  chary  of  criticism  thus  far ;  the  profes- 
sionals are  bearable,  but  alas  for  those  who  have  to  listen  to 
the  four  amateurs.  There  is  no  doubt  about  the  song,  the 
words  are  in  print  on  huge  cards,  already  given  us,  and  the  re- 
frain in  Bengali  runs : 

"  Though  humble  our  reception  be, 

And  though  our  strains  may  halting  run, 
The  loyal  heart  we  bring  to  thee 
Is  warmer  than  our  Eastern  sun. " 

Perhaps  it  is ;  so  we  pardon  the  noise  the  amateurs  make  for 
the  sake  of  the  words  they  sing.  They  should  have  very  loyal 
hearts.  Their  lungs  are  undoubtedly  powerful,  though  nature 
forgot  to  give  them  any  vocal  ability.     But  another  crowd  is 


Life  in  Calcutta.  207 

forcing  its  way  up  the  aisle — a  crowd  of  determined-looking  old 
m«n  who  carry  under  their  arms  and  on  their  shoulders  all 
kinds  of  instruments.  Their  smile  is  portentous.  They  are 
going  to  play  before  a  Prince ;  not  a  man  in  the  dozen  or  so 
now  passing  up  the  hall  would  leave  off  playing  till  the  end  of 
the  tune,  if  death  itself  threatened.  And  they  do  play  too ;  no 
mere  short-lived  galop  or  waltz,  but  a  good  set  piece  with  plenty 
of  all  kinds  of  bars  in  it,  except  bars  of  rest,  an  omission  foi 
which  we  heap  malediction  on  the  head  of  the  composer  when 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  of  thumping  and  scraping  had  passed. 
However,  they  cease  at  last,  and  then  the  gentleman  with  the 
two  flutes  stands  before  the  Prince,  and  certainly  does  produce 
a  singular  effect  therewith.  The  two  tin  tubes  are  placed  on 
either  side  of  his  neck,  he  shuts  his  mouth  and  turns  red  in  the 
face,  whereupon  the  flutes  emit  sounds,  and  a  tune  is  played. 
Then  comes  the  redoubtable  Chuckerbutty,  who,  sitting  down, 
begins  the  vocal  music  promised.  To  attempt  to  describe  his 
"  music  "  is  impossible.  He  appears  to  have  shut  his  mouth  off 
from  all  communication  with  the  nose,  and  to  be  shouting  from 
the  pit  of  his  stomach.  Enough,  Chuckerbutty,  the  Prince  longs 
to  be  delivered  from  thee.  Nautch  girls  come  now,  some  half 
dozen  in  number,  and  begin  such  a  shuffle  as  I  have  previously 
described.  They  are  not  pretty,  but  their  movements  are 
graceful,  and  they  have  the  good  sense  to  divine  when  it  is 
time  to  go.  Thankfully  we  now  repair  to  the  refreshment 
room,  on  the  tables  of  which  is  spread  a  liberal  supper,  and 
from  the  windows  of  which  the  fireworks  may  be  seen.  Tell  it 
not  how  we  were  nearly  all  asphyxiated  with  the  fumes  of  gun- 
powder, and  how  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  waited  for 
our  carriages,  .Rajahs,  Maharajahs,  Baboos,  Parsees,  all.  To 
leam  what  native  entertainments  are,  it  is  necessary  to  go  to 
them.     But  they  should  not  take  place  too  often. 


CHAPTEE  XX. 

KNIGHT-MAKING. 

Would  you  know  how  Knights  of  the  Star  of  India  are 
made1?  Then  imagine  that  you  are  in  Calcutta  on  the  1st  of 
January  in  the  year  of  Grace  1876.  The  scene  is  an  enclosure 
the  form  of  which  is  an  oblong  square,  encompassing  a  space 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length  and  about  half  as  broad. 
It  stands  in  the  centre  of  an  extensive  mead,  is  itself  carpeted 
with  the  greenest  turf.  And  not  only  the  northern  and  south- 
ern extremities,  but  those  also  which  point  to  the  east  and 
west,  are  gates  wide  enough  to  admit  several  horsemen  abreast. 
At  each  of  these  portals  are  stationed  guards — strong  bodies  of 
men-at-arms — for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  order,  and  ascer- 
taining also  the  quality  of  those  who  present  themselves  at  the 
entrances.  Along  the  inner  sides  of  the  enclosure  looking 
north  and  south  are  sixteen  pavilions,  adorned  with  pennons, 
the  chosen  colours  of  the  knights  to  whom  they  belong.  Be- 
side these  pavilions  also  stand  the  squires  of  the  knights,  many 
of  them  quaintly  attired  in  fantastic  dress,  in  each  case  accord- 
ing to  the  taste  of  his  master.  At  the  eastern  end  of  the  enclo- 
sure is  a  pavilion  raised  higher  and  more  richly  decorated  than 
the  others,  graced  by  two  thrones  and  canopy,  on  which  the 
Royal  arms  are  emblazoned.  Squires,  pages,  and  yeomen  in 
rich  liveries  wait  around  the  place  of  honour,  which  is  clearly 
designed  for  personages  of  high  degree.  Galleries  on  either 
side  are  filled  with  knights  and  nobles  in  their  robes  of  peace, 
whose  rich  tints  contrast  with  the  splendid  habits  of  the  ladies, 
who,  in  greater  numbers  than  the  men,  have  come  hither  to 
witness  the  sport.     In  a  yet  lower  space  are  such  of  the  lesser 


KNIGHT-MAKING.      *  209 

gentry  as  from  modesty,  poverty,  or  dubious  title,  to  say 
nothing  of  inability  to  persuade  somebody  in  office  to  give 
them  a  more  desirable  post,  dare  not  assume  any  higher  place. 
This  tented  field  is  within  a  mile  of  the  city  of  Calcutta. 
Yonder  thrones  of  silver  and  blue — the  one  surmounted  by  the 
crown,  and  the  other  by  three  feathers;  both  of  them  placed  on 
a  dais  raised  three  steps  from  the  ground,  and  under  a  canopy 
of  the  same  material  as  the  thrones  themselves — are  intended 
for  the  Viceroy  of  India  and  the  Queen's  son.  The  tents,  at 
the  doors  of  which  stand  clusters  of  singularly  attired  retainers, 
hide  Knights  of  the  Star  of  India,  Grand  Commanders  from 
Scinde,  Cashmere,  Travancore,  and  Indore;  the  guards  at  the 
gates  are  battalions  of  Sikhs,  bronzed  warriors  from  the  Pun- 
jab, athletic  soldiers  of  Bengal.  Inside,  the  helmets  of  white 
and  glittering  weapons  are  those  of  British  troops  and  British 
sailors,  drawn  up  in  strong  lines  in  front  of  the  tents,  and  form- 
ing a  guard  of  honour  on  either  side  of  the  pathway  which 
leads  to  the  Royal  pavilion.  The  splendid  spectacle  is  not  only 
romantic  in  itself,  but  to  persons  acquainted  with  the  style  and 
title  of  all  that  are  notable  here,  it  is  an  extraordinary  but  very 
intelligible  scene.  Inside  the  Royal  pavilion,  and  on  either 
side  of  the  dais,  no  less  than  at  the  back  of  it,  were  tiers  of 
seats  filled  with  native  grandees,  English  generals  and  naval 
captains,  political  officers,  and  ladies,  the  beauty  of  whose 
uniforms  and  dresses  was  marvellous  to  behold.  Scarlet,  blue, 
cloth  of  gold,  silks  of  the  brightest  hues,  all  combined  to  give 
warmth  and  colour  to  this  delightful  picture.  The  pale  blue  of  the 
Order,  which  was  apparent  everywhere,  on  throne  and  canopy, 
in  banners  pendant  from  the  roof,  and  in  the  cloaks  of  those  who 
were  about  to  be  invested  as  Knights  Grand  Commanders — the 
recipients,  as  yet  invisible — actually  relieved  the  eye,  so  over- 
whelming was  the  assemblage  of  gaudy  colours.  Nor  were 
"Queen's  of  Beauty"  wanting;  there  were  many  here  whose 
beauty  entitled  them  to  be  every  whit  a  queen;  it  was  an 


210  WITH   THE  FRINGE  IN  INDIA. 

assemblage  of  all  the  fair  and  all  the  brave  in  Bengal.  Allow- 
ing your  eye  to  run  along  the  red  carpet,  on  which  was  embla- 
zoned the  Royal  arms,  and  so  looking  right  and  left,  you  found 
at  the  entrance  to  the  Royal  tent  other  galleries  erected  for  and 
filled  by  those  whose  rank  or  deeds  were  not  sufficient  to  entitle 
them  to  the  premier  places.  Yet  even  these  were  much  to  be 
envied,  and,  indeed,  were  envied  accordingly  by  those  whose 
fortune  it  had  not  been  to  receive  an  invitation.  They  were 
content  to  sit  under  insufficient  canopies,  braving  the  hot  sun 
for  hours,  rather  than  lose  an  opportunity  of  being  present  at 
the  greatest  fete  which  India  witnessed  in  modern  times.  It  is 
a  long  and  striking  vista— the  vastness  of  the  enclosure  and  the 
brightness  of  the  sunlight  render  objects  somewhat  less  distinct, 
mellow  down  the  tones  of  colour  outside  the  pavilion,  and  give 
to  the  whole  spectacle  more  than  may  be  easily  imagined  the 
attributes  of  an  admirably  painted  picture  or  a  fairy  scene, 
rather  than  the  idea  of  life  and  reality,  "  Nothing  shall  be 
omitted  which  will  redound  to  the  dignity  of  the  said  Order," 
says  the  Royal  "Warrant  which  commands  the  Prince  to  hold 
the  chapter. 

Standing,  as  we  do,  in  the  Royal  pavilion,  then,  this  splendid 
morning,  before  the  Prince  arrives  and  the  chapter  is  opened, 
there  is  much  to  notice.  Of  the  tents  outside  this  throne-room, 
but,  of  course,  inside  the  enclosure,  that  on  the  right-hand  side 
looking  towards  the  entrance  is  reserved  for  the  Viceroy,  who, 
as  Grand  Master  of  the  Order,  has  the  chief  place ;  the  opposite 
one  belongs  to  the  Prince  of  Wales.  Next  to  that  of  Lord 
Northbrook  is  the  tent  of  the  Maharajah  Scindia ;  next  to  the 
Prince  of  Wales'  the  pavilion  of  the  ruler  of  Cashmere.  In  order 
of  precedence  as  follows  are  the  tents  of  the  Maharajah  Holkar, 
the  Maharajah  of  Jeypore,  the  Maharajah  of  Rewah,  Sir  Bartle 
Frere,the  Maharajah  of  Travancore,  Lord  Napier,  the  Maharajah 
of  Puttiala,  Sir  Salar  Jung,  and  the  Begum  of  Bhopal.  Round  the 
doors  of  these  tents,  for  their  occupants  have  already  arrived  in 


KNIGHT-MAKING,  211 

order  appointed,  stand  their  retainers,  in  all  the  costumes  of  tho 
Indies.  There  are  two  more  large  tents,  one  for  Knights  Com- 
manders and  another  for  Companions  of  the  Order.  Pathways 
to  all  of  these  have  been  marked  by  red  carpet ;  their  doorways 
are  all  guarded  by  English  troops.  Inside  the  pavilion  fresh 
arrivals  are  swelling  the  already  crowded  audience  every 
moment.  Several  of  the  Prince's  suite,  headed  by  the  Duke  of 
Sutherland — who  wears  the  scarlet  coat  and  plaid  of  a  Highland 
regiment,  the  plaid  being  fastened  to  his  Grace's  epaulettes  by 
the  aid  of  white  ribbon — and  Lord  Alfred  Paget,  in  a  general's 
uniform  and  sash,  stroll  in  at  one  door  at  the  precise  moment 
that  Sir  William  Gregory,  brave  in  his  Governor's  gold- 
embroidered  uniform  and  newly  acquired  collar  of  St.  Michael 
and  St.  George,  enters  by  another,  leading  Miss  Baring  and 
followed  by  his  aide-de-camp.  Miss  Baring  stands  and  chats 
with  the  Duke,  Lord  Alfred  Paget  and  Sir  William  Gregory 
are  apparently  wishing  each  other  a  happy  new  year,  when  a 
stir  at  the  door  betokens  the  arrival  of  somebody  of  great  im- 
portance. One  marvels  who  it  can  be,  and  has  reason  to  marvel 
still  more  when  the  apparition  makes  its  way  into  open  view. 
Surely  nothing  more  grotesque  was  ever  seen  before.  Four 
olive-coloured  gentlemen  with  Mongolian  faces,  attired  in 
fashions  so  fantastic  as  to  provoke  a  general  murmur  of  surprise, 
even  from  people  somewhat  used  to  singular  dresses,  are  wait- 
ing for  seats.  Golden  hats,  red  collars,  green  robes,  dragon- 
headed  swords,  all  belong  to  the  representatives  of  his  Majesty 
of  Burmah.  What  reason  for  wonder  that  the  subjects  of  that 
potentate  occasionally  commit  little  excesses  if  the  magnates 
of  his  empire  wear  dresses  like  these.  The  sons  of  Jung  Ba- 
hadoor  are  just  entering,  and  are  led  to  a  post  of  honour.  Their 
aigrettes  of  diamonds  and  horsehair  plumes  are  no  mean  addi- 
tion to  the  head-dresses  of  the  audience ;  besides  which  one  of 
them  is  to  be  decorated  presently.  There  is  a  native  officer, 
too,  of  the  Viceroy's  staff— a  fine,  soldierly  man,  dressed  like  a 


212  WITH  TEE  PBINCE   IN  INDIA. 

European,  save  that  he  wears  a  turban  and  a  short  plaid  petti- 
coat, and  he  is  placed  in  a  good  seat ;  and  another  native — this 
time  a  civilian,  one  of  those  who  is  to  receive  the  medal  of  the 
Order — by  name  Baboo  Degumber  Mitter,  follows,  and  is 
placed  close  to  Colonel  Ramsay,  who,  like  his  native  friend, 
will  shortly  be  called  up  and  be  publicly  honoured.  At  length, 
however,  a  far  more  notable  incident  occurs.  Amid  heavy 
salvoes  of  artillery,  the  presenting  of  arms  by  the  troops,  playing 
of  bands,  and  hurrying  of  umbrella  bearers  and  aides-de-camp, 
the  entrance  of  the  Prince  and  the  Viceroy  to  the  enclosure  is 
announced,  and  they  are  conducted  to  their  tents  preparatory 
to  the  forming  of  a  procession  to  the  Royal  pavilion.  For  a 
moment  there  is  a  pause ;  the  chiefs  of  the  Order  are  seeu 
moving  from  their  tents  across  the  enclosed  plain,  while  a  lively 
march  is  played  and  distant  guns  are  firing. 

The  first  Knight  Grand  Commander  of  the  Star  of  India  is 
just  upon  the  point  of  entering  the  tent,  heralded  as  becomes 
the  possessor  of  titles  and  dignity  so  undoubted,  by  a  goodly 
array  of  men-at-arms.  Turbaned  warriors  in  pairs,  eight  in 
number,  two  of  them  Nawabs  in  their  own  right,  precede  the 
knight,  while  an  officer  of  rank  bears  the  Bhopal  escutcheon. 
Fancy  pictures  a  stalwart  soldier  in  rear  of  that  silken  sheet  of 
blue  and  gold — a  broad-shouldered,  fierce-looking  winner  of 
honours,  when  following  the  banner,  which  by  this  time  has 
entered  the  tent,  totters  forward  a  native  lady,  so  closely 
muffled-up  and  veiled  in  blue  silk  that  not  a  hair  of  her  head 
or  a  feature  of  her  face  can  be  descried  by  the  most  inquisitive ; 
a  little  Mahommedan  dame,  dressed  in  the  blue  robe  of  the 
Order,  with  a  shield  in  the  place  where  her  right  arm  should  be, 
an  embroidered  star  on  her  left  side,  the  medal  of  the  Order 
hung  round  the  mufflers  which  cover  her  neck,  and  the  star  of 
brilliants  pinned  to  her  breast.  It  is  certain  that  she  can  in 
some  way  or  other,  to  us  unknowm,  peer  through  that  thick, 
blue   veil,  or  that  tottering  shuffle  would  degenerate  into  a 


KNIGHT-MAKING  213 

helpless  halt.  As  it  is,  she  moves  slowly  forward,  her  train 
being  held  up  by  two  little  pages  in  yellow  turbans,  till  she  finds 
her  chair  of  state,  and  subsides.  But  another  group  is  coming 
forward,  and  we  have  not  time  to  look  longer  at  the  little  Begum 
of  Bhopal.  Make  way  for  Sir  Salar  Jung,  who  is  preceded  by 
eight  attendants.  Clad  in  a  black  velvet  coat  richly  embroidered 
with  gold,  and  with  the  blue  robe  of  the  Order  thrown  over 
his  shoulders,  the  great  Minister  of  the  Nizam  steps  slowly 
forward,  a  single  page  upholding  his  train,  and  takes  his 
place  exactly  opposite  to  the  Begum  of  Bhopal  who,  by 
the  way,  is  standing  up  once  more.  Then  his  Magnificence  of 
Puttiala,  with  banner  and  attendants,  appears  in  the  way.  A 
broad-shouldered  potentate,  truly ;  the  front  of  his  turban  and 
of  his  coat  alike  nearly  covered  with  those  famous  brilliants 
which  once  glittered  at  the  Tuileries,  and  at  St.  Cloud,  at  the 
assemblies  of  the  Knights  of  the  Legion  of  Honour,  when  the 
Empress  Eugenie  looked  on  th6  grandest  pageant  which  France 
could  afford.  Their  owner  stands  by  the  side  of  the  tiny  lady 
Knight,  a  very  tower  of  strength — a  giant  magnified  the  more 
by  the  contrast  he  makes  with  the  Begum  of  Bhopal.  Behind 
him,  not  very  far  behind,  is  a  more  notable  Knight  than  he, 
Lord  Napier  of  Magdala,  eight  English  officers  heralding  him, 
and  one  bearing  his  banner  aloft — a  broad  silk  flag  of  brown  and 
gold.  For  pages  this  hero  of  many  fights  has  a  midshipman 
from  the  "  Immortalite,"  in  navy  blue,  and  a  sub-lieutenant  in 
bright  scarlet  uniform ;  fit  followers  of  one  who  has  achieved  so 
much  by  sea  and  by  land.  The  little  Maharajah  of  Travancore, 
with  only  four  heralds  and  two  little  boys  attired  in  Bengalee 
fashion,  is  close  behind,  moving  in  as  graceful  a  manner  as 
though  he  had  all  his  life  long  made  Chesterfield  and  Brummell 
his  models  and  study.  Sir  Bartle  Frere  follows,  and  then  the 
Maharajah  of  Rewah,  preceded  by  his  banner  of  black  and  gold, 
and  having  pages  prettily  attired  in  cloth  of  gold.  Jeypore 
the  Rajpoot  is  next,  with  a  banner  of  curious  kind.     Divided 


214  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

lengthwise  into  strips  of  various  colours,  it  portrays  at  once  yel- 
low, blue,  white,  green,  red,  and  black.  His  train  is  supported 
by  boys  in  hats  like  sugar  loaves — yellow  hats,  and  extremely 
ugly.  Holkar's  red  puggaree  is  in  view  a  minute  later — 
Holkar,  the  plainly-dressed  Maharajah,  clad  wholly  in  white,  ex- 
cepting the  blue  robe  which  he  wears  in  common  with  all 
Knights  Grand  Commanders — and  then  the  Maharajah  of  Cash- 
mere, whose  banner  is  of  gold  and  white,  and  whose  little  pages 
wear  tiny  pink  turbans.  Scindia  the  senior  now  approaches, 
wearing  a  white  Tyrolese  hat  trimmed  with  a  yellow  feather, 
and  as  he  follows  his  blue  and  yellow  banner,  stops  here  to  shake 
hands  with  Lord  Napier,  there  to  bow  to  his  Highness  of 
Travancore,  then  to  exchange  a  word  with  his  vis  a  vis  of  Cash- 
mere, and  lastly  to  speak  to  Holkar,  whose  seat  is  next  his  own. 
All  the  Knights  Grand  Commanders  are  then  in  their  places ; 
the  band  plays  the  march  still ;  all  are  now  in  suspense,  for  the 
Prince  and  Viceroy  are  coming ;  their  processions  are  moving 
towards  the  tent. 

About  the  dignity  connected  with  an  umbrella,  many  great 
authorities,  from  King  Coffee  in  the  West  to  the  Jam  of  Now- 
anuggur  in  the  East,  are  agreed.  But  when  there  are  not  only 
one,  but  three  umbrellas,  when  one  of  these  is  of  gold,  and  the 
two  others  of  blue  and  red,  with  massive  gold  broideries,  there 
can  be  no  manner  of  doubt  in  the  minds  of  the  most  ignorant 
in  such  matters  as  to  the  amount  of  dignity  and  honour  they 
confer.  In  front  of  these  insignia  of  pomp  march  with  steady 
tread  twelve  chosen  esquires,  attendants  on  the  Knight  Grand 
Commander  whose  banner  it  is  which  is  seen  in  the  distance. 
That  banner,  too,  is  worthily  borne,  for  it  is  carried  by  no  less 
a  warrior  than  General  Probyn,  to  whose  name  attaches  all  that 
is  dear  to  a  soldier.  And  close  behind,  under  the  gold  um- 
brella, comes  the  Prince  of  Wales,  clad  in  a  general's  scarlet 
uniform,  with  the  blue  cloak  of  the  Star  of  India  over  his 
shoulders,  the  gold  chain  of  the  Order  about  his  neck,  and  that 


KNIGHT-MAKING.  215 

of  the  Garter  beside  it.  Following  this  procession  is  that  of 
the  Viceroy,  very  similar  and  quite  as  grand,  boasting  two  other 
little  pages  almost  the  counterparts  of  those  who  follow  the 
Prince.  His  Excellency  takes  his  seat  on  the  dais,  the  audience 
sits  down,  there  is  a  short  consultation  between  Lord  North- 
brook  and  his  Foreign  Secretary,  and  then  Mr.  Aitchison  stands 
forward,  a  long  roll  in  his  hand,  and  proceeds  to  call  out  the 
names  of  the  members  of  the  chapters.  He  begins  with  Albert 
Edward,  Prince  of  Wales,  and  the  Prince,  in  a  loud  tone  of 
voice,  says  u  Here  !"  Lord  Northbrook  comes  next  on  the  roll. 
"  Here ! "  Then  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh,  to  whose  name  there 
is  no  response.  So  the  roll  goes,  on,  each  Knight  present 
answering  to  his  name,  until  at  length  it  is  finished,  and  then 
the  chapter  is  declared  open,  and  we  wait  with  curiosity  for 
further  proceedings. 

In  a  loud,  clear  voice  Mr.  Aitchison  reads  the  warrant 
authorising  "  our  well-beloved  son  "  to  hold  a  ceremony  of  in- 
vestiture of  the  Order  on  behalf  of  her  Majesty,  and  details  by 
all  those  repetitions  of  which  lawyers  are  so  fond,  but  of  which 
all  other  people  are  so  tired,  the  separate  rights  and  powers  to 
which  certain  and  sundry  chosen  already  for  the  honour  will 
hereafter  be  entitled,  u  all  statute,  rule,  or  usage  to  the  con- 
trary notwithstanding."  After  which  satisfactory  statement, 
there  is  silence  while  the  Prince  and  all  present  stand  up,  and 
his  Royal  Highness  is  saluted.  Hereupon  Mr.  Aitchison 
moves  forward  again — he  is  the  principal  personage  here  after 
all,  and  will  appear  very  often,  but  he  is  a  good  and  untiring 
official,  and  deserves  all  prominence — and  hands  to  the  Prince 
the  warrant,  which  by  his  Royal  Highness  is  transferred  to  the 
hands  of  one  of  the  pages  at  the  back  of  the  throne,  and  the 
ceremony  proceeds. 

Mr.  Aitchison  now  goes  in  quest  of  the  Maharajah  of  Jod- 
pore,  who  is  hidden  away  in  a  tent  in  the  dim  distance,  taking 
with  him  four  macebearers,  the  Under-Secretary  of  the  Foreign 


216  WITH  THE   PBINGE  IN  INDIA. 

Department,  and  two  junior  Knights-Commanders,  while  the 
bands  outside  strike  up  a  quick  march.  It  is  a  long  distance 
that  has  to  be  traversed,  and  it  is  some  time  ere  the  little  pro- 
cession has  turned  to  the  left  and  gone  towards  the  pavilion  of 
the  waiting  Maharajah.  But  as  time  passes  it  is  seen  return- 
ing, this  time  swelled  by  the  attendants  and  person  of  his 
Highness  of  Jodpore,  who  with  pages  and  bannermen  is  now 
coming  up.  It  may  be  that  you  are  tempted  to  laugh  outright 
as  that  extraordinary  party  from  the  tent  approaches,  till  you 
remember  that  you  are  in  the  very  presence  of  Royalty  and 
in  the  chapter  of  a  lodge  of  Knights.  Six  very  fat  men,  with 
long  pink  gowns  drawn  tight  to  the  knees,  so  that  they  can 
scarcely  walk,  but  bulging  out  thence,  and  frilled  so  stiffly  as 
to  resemble  a  large  Chinese  umbrella,  are  not,  perhaps,  stately 
objects,  albeit  that  one  of  them  is  a  Maharajah.  However, 
the  soldiers  and  sailors  present  arms  as  the  cortege  passes,  the 
bands  play  a  slow  march,  and  it  enters  the  Royal  pavilion  with 
all  state  and  show.  Conducted  to  the  foot  of  the  dais,  where 
he  makes  profound  bows,  kissing  his  hand  in  approved  style, 
the  Maharajah  hears  the  warrant  for  his  decoration  read  over, 
is  then  taken  to  a  table  on  one  side,  where  he  receives  his 
cloak  and  badge,  then  back  to  the  Prince,  who,  ejaculating  the 
words,  "In  the  name  of  the  Queen,  and  by  her  Majesty's  com- 
mand, I  here  invest  you  with  the  honourable  insignia  of  the 
Star  of  India,  of  which  most  exalted  order  her  Majesty  has 
been  graciously  pleased  to  appoint  you  to  be  a  Knight  Grand 
Commander,"  places  the  chain  round  the  bent  neck  of  the  re- 
cipient without  himself  rising  from  the  throne.  Immediately 
a  salute  of  seventeen  guns  is  begun ;  the  newly-made  Knight 
bows  to  the  Prince  and  Viceroy,  who  both  remain  seated  with 
their  helmets  on ;  a  blast  of  trumpets  heralds  the  proclamation 
of  his  style  and  title,  and  Jodpore  of  the  red  petticoat  is  led  to 
his  seat. 

Then  another  pause  ensues ;  Mr.  Aitchison  sallies  forth  again, 


KNIGHT-MAKING.  217 

this  time  in  search  of  the  Rajah  of  Theend.  He  presently 
appears,  followed  by  the  Foreign  Secretary,  clad  in  cloth  of 
gold,  and  wearing  a  golden  turban.  He  is  a  grand  man,  in 
appearance  firstly,  for  his  long,  grey  beard  and  manly  carriage 
betoken  a  patriarchal  warrior;  in  repute  secondly,  for  he  it 
was  who  first  led  Sikh  troops  to  conquer  the  fiends  at  Delhi. 
The  ceremony  of  his  investiture  is  the  same  as  in  the  case  of  his 
predecessor  of  Jodpore,  save  that  eleven  guns  only  are  fired  in 
his  honour.  And  then  the  Knights  Commanders  are  brought 
up.  The  first  is  Mr.  Robinson,  of  Madras,  who  immediately 
receives  a  collar  of  blue  silk  and  medal  from  the  hands  of  the 
Prince,  and  then  is  made  a  Knight  Bachelor  of  Great  Britain 
by  the  placing  of  a  sword,  which  General  Probyn  has  ready,  on 
his  left  and  right  shoulders.  The  rest,  with  the  exception  of 
Colonel  Ramsay,  who  receives  the  same  honours  as  Mr.  Robin- 
son, are  unknown  to  the  English  public.  Companions  of  the 
Order  are  next  nominated,  the  Prince  handing  the  medal  to 
Mr.  Aitchison,  who  pins  it  upon  the  breast  of  the  selected  one, 
who  bows  reverently,  and  so  the  ceremony  draws  to  an  end. 
The  newly-made  Companions  take  their  appointed  places ;  their 
names  are  called  out  and  responded  to  with  much  humility : 
the  Secretary  informs  the  Prince  that  there  is  no  further  busi- 
ness before  the  chapter,  whereupon  he  is  commanded  to  declare 
the  lodge  dissolved ;  a  Royal  procession  is  once  more  marshal- 
led ;  the  guards  of  honour  present  arms ;  bands  play  a  grand 
march;  one  more  Royal  salute  is  fired,  and  the  Prince  and 
Viceroy  leave  the  pavilion,  stopping  in  their  way  out  to  speak 
to  the  great  chieftains  as  they  pass.  A  few  minutes  later,  and 
the  enclosure  itself  has  been  quitted  by  the  Royal  party,  and 
the  rest  of  us  are  moving  to  the  gates  on  our  way  home.  The 
chapter  of  the  most  exalted  Order  of  the  Star  of  India  is  dis- 
solved. 


14 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


THE  SACRED  CITY  OF  BENARES. 


Benares  is  undoubtedly  a  fine  city.  The  view  from  the  river 
is  perfect ;  but  a  person  beholding  it  for  the  first  time  on  a 
chilly  moonlight  night,  in  a  rickety  vehicle  that  threatened  to 
turn  over  every  moment  on  a  bridge  of  boats,  with  only  a  very 
vague  idea  of  where  he  would  find  a  bed  for  the  night — that 
bed  being,  at  all  events,  quite  six  miles  off — might  fail  at  that 
particular  moment  to  recognise  the  attraction  of  Benares.  On 
the  other  hand,  a  believer  in  Shiva,  a  red-turbaned,  shuffling, 
white-petticoated,  olive-coloured  native  of  Hindostan,  with  his 
heart  set  upon  visiting  the  sacred  city  of  India,  would  leap  for 
joy ;  would  forget  the  mist  and  the  dimness,  the  chilly  wind 
and  clammy  air,  the  chance  of  having  no  bed,  and  possibly  no 
board  either,  and  rejoice  with  exceeding  joy  at  the  prospect  of 
plunging  in  the  Ganges  next  morning,  and  washing  away  what 
peccadilloes  and  worse  might  cling  to  his  soul.  The  slow-moving, 
shrunken  stream — for  the  rains  are  long  since  past — would 
assume  a  new  appearance.  Yonder  innumerable  steps  down  to 
the  river  would  be  but  as  Jacob's  ladder  reversed  ;  not,  indeed, 
leading  upwards  to  glory,  but  downwards  to  happiness  here  and 
hereafter. 

A  grand  position  is  that  of  a  Hindoo  pilgrim  to  Benares — a 
lot  to  be  envied  by  the  myriads  who  live  in  the  far  North,  and 
the  millions  who  inhabit  the  distant  South,  the  natives  of  the 
Malabar  Coast  and  those  whose  vista  is  a  view  of  the  Coromandel 
Sea.  These  may  yearly  send  their  roll  of  fortunate  men — men 
who  have  done  wrong  and  had  misgivings,  but  who  come  hither 
to  bathe  and  be  morally  clean  henceforth  and  for  ever ;  but  the 


THE  SACRED  CITY  OF  BENARtiS.  219 

vast  majority  can  hope  for  no  shriving,  no  indulgence,  no  pardon; 
the  waters  of  the  Bombay  Abana  or  the  Madras  Pharpar  may 
be  blue  and  beautiful ;  but  the  Benares  Ganges,  the  sacred 
river,  can  alone  do  good  to  the  crowds  of  natives  whose  dread  is 
Shiva  the  destroyer.  Of  course,  the  wealthy  of  the  land  can 
come  hither  and  be  blest.  "  See  Naples  and  die,"  say  the 
Italians,  "  See  Benares  and  die,"  echo  the  Hindoos ;  and,  in 
hope  of  dying  here  and  being  consumed  by  fire  on  the  river 
shore,  many  a  rich  native  hurries  up,  despite  agony  of  body 
indescribable.  What  becomes  of  him  when  he  reaches  the 
sacred  city  ]  Visit  the  river  banks,  and  entering  a  dingy,  or 
covered  boat,  move  slowly  down  the  stream,  and  see. 

On  the  right  bank  is  a  wide  plain,  somewhat  similar  to  the 
Essex  marshes  which  skirt  the  Thames  below  Tilbury ;  there  is 
the  palace  of  the  Maharajah  of  Benares  at  a  distant  point,  but 
with  this  exception  the  right  side  of  the  Ganges  is  deserted.  On 
the  left,  however,  a  very  different  picture  presents  itself,  and 
such  a  one  as  cannot  be  forgotten  so  long  as  memory  lasts.  A 
great  city  suddenly  fronts  us — a  city  not  only  sacred,  but  grand 
in  its  edifices  of  palaces  and  temples,  the  chief  of  which  are  on 
the  water's  edge.  Here  are  hundreds  of  flights  of  stone  steps 
forty  or  fifty  feet  broad,  rising  high  up  the  river  bank.  The 
steps,  or  "  ghauts,"  lead  to  magnificent  Oriental  buildings. 
Here  is  the  Ghaut  Scindia,  with  the  palace  of  the  Ruler  of 
Gwalior  above ;  there  the  Ghaut  Nagpore,  with  the  Rajah's 
house  at  the  summit ;  a  little  further  on  the  Ghauts  of  Viziana- 
gram,  Benares,  Nagpore,  and  Peshwa,  with  the  mansions 
attached.  The  subsisting  Maharajahs  and  Rajahs,  having 
always  an  eye  to  the  possibilities  of  fate,  and  anxious  to  make 
"  the  best  of  both  worlds,"  have  a  house  in  the  sacred  city,  where 
they  can  comfortably  retire  when  the  warning  comes  and  prepa 
ration  for  departure  is  judicious.  Poorer  people  must  manage 
without  all  this,  and  indeed  do  so  manage.  In  view  at  this? 
moment  are  thousands  of  them  bathing  in  the  water,  lapping  it, 


220  WITH  THE   PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

washing  their  clothes — if  a  waistcloth  can  be  called  "  clothes  " 
— and  taking  up  a  vesselful  of  the  sacred  water  for  the  benefit  of 
their  friends.  The  water  is  not  bright  or  clean.  It  might,  were 
it  not  so  sacred,  be  called  very  dirty.  And  there  are,  just  now 
at  any  rate,  some  thousands  of  people  bathing  in  it  continually. 
But  that  matters  not ;  it  is  the  holy  river,  and  the  worshippers 
of  the  Ganges  fill  their  mouths  with  the  water,  lave  in  it, 
drink  of  it,  quite  happily.  Every  dip  they  take,  every  drop 
they  swallow,  washes  off  moral  uncleanliness.  To  us  strangers 
the  sight  is  amazing.  Under  the  shadow  of  temple  and  mansion 
alike,  troops  of  men,  women,  and  children  are  coming  down  the 
steps.  A  short  prayer,  a  momentary  uplifting  of  the  hands,  a 
certain,  or  rather  uncertain,  rolling  of  the  eye-balls,  and  then 
a  plunge  into  the  river.  All  along  the  bank,  huddled  together 
against  the  landing  stages,  in  the  stream  up  to  their  necks^ 
clinging  to  the  bamboo  posts  to  which  boats  are  fastened,  every 
devotee  is  happy,  each  ready  to  pay  for  a  garland  of  yellow 
flowers,  each  determined  to  make  the  most  of  a  liberation  from 
the  ill-deeds  of  the  past. 

While  thinking  about  this  unwonted  scene,  the  boatman 
attracts  attention  by  a  touch  on  the  arm,  to  say  we  are  opposite 
the  burning  ghaut.  To  be  burnt  at  Calcutta  or  Bombay  may 
be  a  satisfactory  contemplation  for  the  dying  native ;  but  to  be 
placed  on  the  funeral  pyre  at  Benares,  to  be  first  of  all  washed 
in  the  Ganges,  and  then  to  have  his  ashes  thrown  into  the 
sacred  river,  is  indeed  a  happiness.  As  we  look  on  the  shore, 
the  boat  being  drawn  close  to  the  edge,  a  curious  sight  meets 
our  eyes.  In  a  little  space,  fashioned  somewhat  after  the  shape 
of  an  amphitheatre,  are  three  burning  heaps  of  wood.  Looking 
down  upon  these,  quite  thirty  feet  high  above  the  pyres,  and 
enveloped  in  the  smoke,  are  some  forty  or  fifty  men  and 
women,  perched  on  the  steps  like  so  many  rooks,  looking  com- 
placently down  while  the  remains  of  their  relatives  are  being 
consumed.     Down   at   the   water's  edge,  partly  in  the  water 


THE  SACRED  CITY  OF  BENARES.  221 

indeed,  are  two  human  bodies.  One  is  that  of  a  woman,  the 
other  of  a  man  ;  each  is  wrapped  in  white  linen.  Very  little 
ceremony  is  needed,  but  that  little  is  observed.  The  fire  pile 
has  been  prepared  for  the  reception  of  the  corpse  to  be  burnt. 
The  body  is  therefore  placed  by  the  side  of  the  river,  and  then 
dipped  into  the  water,  so  that  all  the  sheet  is  covered.  Lest 
there  should  be  any  doubt  about  this,  however,  a  vessel  of 
water  is  twice  emptied  over  the  head  of  the  corpse  before  it  is 
removed,  and  then  the  two  men  in  attendance,  lifting  the  body, 
place  it  upon  the  pyre ;  logs  of  wood  thrown  to  them  by  assis- 
tants are  laid  on  it ;  light,  dry  chips  placed  beneath  ;  a  torch  is 
fetched,  and  the  light  applied;  there  is  a  blaze,  and — of  the 
rest  nothing  need  be  said.  • 

Our  boat  is  now  propelled  a  little  further  down  the  stream, 
till  the  Great  Mohammedan  mosque  is  reached.  Two  minarets, 
one  of  which  may  be  ascended  without  danger,  stand  on  either 
side  of  it ;  but  we  decline  the  proffered  opportunity. 

I  have  said  that  Benares  is  a  holy  city;  it  is  notable  in 
many  other  respects.  Were  nothing  more  to  be  seen,  its 
Observatory,  its  Golden  Temple,  its  sacred  well,  and  its  strange 
bazaar,  would  give  it  the  title  to  be  ranked  amongst  the  most 
notable  places  in  the  world.  But  it  has,  in  addition  to  all 
these,  and  the  most  holy  point  of  the  Ganges,  long  groves  of 
trees — orange,  citron,  plantain,  and  palm ;  and  the  most  singu- 
lar monkey  temple  in  the  world.  On  arriving  at  the  temple 
the  Prince  was  supplied  with  a  plate  of  parched  peas  and  a 
number  of  white  sweetmeats,  of  which  it  was  said  that  the 
monkeys  had  many  times  signified  their  approbation,  and  thus 
furnished,  his  Royal  Highness  entered  the  temple.  We  had 
been  told  that  on  stepping  inside  a  great  assemblage  of  monkeys 
might  be  expected,  and  sundry  signs  had  not  been  wanting 
that  monkeys  were  somewhere  about  in  great  numbers.  Up  in 
the  neighbouring  trees,  on  the  walls  anc^oofs  of  houses,  in  the 
roads,  chasing  luckless  children,  and  on  the  fronts  of  the  shops, 


222  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

these  creatures  seemed  to  be  everywhere.  That  they  were 
mischievous  was  also  undoubted,  for  now  and  then  they  would 
hurl  stones  or  pieces  of  wood  at  passers-by  with  an  aim  by  no 
means  to  be  despised,  or  would  lean  over  the  wall  and  quietly 
snap  off  the  turban  of  some  thoughtless  pedestian,  who  might 
shout,  and  call  not  only  the  monkey  but  the  monkey's  sister 
and  mother — the  approved  style  of  abuse  here  — all  kinds  of 
unpleasant  names;  but  his  turban  might  be  considered  as  gone, 
all  efforts  of  its  owner  notwithstanding,  and  the  best  thing  he 
could  do  would  be  to  buy  another  puggaree  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible. Our  entry  to  the  temple  was  the  signal  for  a  general 
assemblage  of  these  pleasant  animals.  They  tumbled  down 
from  the  minarets  of  the  temple,  they  came  over  the  walks  by 
scores,  they  wriggled  through  holes  and  crevices,  rushed  in  at 
the  doorways,  and,  in  short,  so  readily  obeyed  the  summons  as 
to  form  a  body  that  could,  without  the  slightest  trouble,  have 
had  a  great  piece  of  fun  with  the  Prince  and  his  suite.  For 
tunately,  they  were  peaceably  inclined,  and  as  the  stock  of- 
sweetmeats  and  peas  was  large,  and  their  hunger  not  great — for 
they  are  fed  on  an  average  fifty  times  a  day  by  pilgrims  and 
worshippers — they  were  content  to  take  what  was  thrown 
them,  and  filling  their  cheeks  as  full  as  possible,  make  off.  I 
am  not  sure  that  at  times  the  gold  lace  on  the  Prince's  coat 
was  not  a  temptation,  for  the  monkeys'  eyes  glistened  as  they 
looked  at  the  Royal  uniform.  But  the  visitors  were,  fortun- 
ately, on  three  steps,  kept  clear  by  energetic  priests,  and  the 
Royal  party  came  away  without  any  accident. 

Not  far  from  here  is  the  celebrated  Golden  Temple,  to  visit 
which  is  the  ambition  of  every  Hindoo.  To  see  it  thoroughly, 
the  Prince  was,  on  arrival,  conducted  to  an  adjacent  window, 
whence  the  golden  dome,  with  its  surrounding  minarets,  one  of 
them  golden  also,  could  be  inspected.  The  stone  carving  of  this 
edifice  is  very  rich,  and  so  minute  as  to  cause  a  feeling  of  con- 
siderable surprise  in  the  minds  of  all  strangers.    It  is  as  neatly 


THE  MONKEY  TEMPLE  AT  BENABES, 


THE  SACRED  CITY  OF  BENARES.  223 

carved  as  the  finest  ivory  boxes,  and  the  sharpness  of  the 
figures,  although  they  were  fashioned  hundreds  of  years  ago, 
remains  to  this  day.  Inside,  some  hundreds  of  Hindoos  were 
going  through  their  worship  as  they  did  in  the  days  when  the 
carvings  were  new,  without  variation  or  alteration. 

There  is  a  well  here  which,  as  the  residence  of  a  deity — no 
less  a  personage  than  Shiva  himself — is  greatly  worshipped. 

The  proper  thing  for  a  pilgrim  on  arrival  at  Benares  is  to  do 
"  Poojah"  in  the  first  instance  to  this  well.  This  he  accom- 
plishes in  two  ways — by  throwing  holy  Ganges  water  and 
flowers  into  the  well,  and  as  much  money  as  he  can  scrape  to- 
gether into  a  bright  silver  box,  which  a  thoughtful  priest  is 
careful  to  point  out.  One  may  look  at  the  well  without  throw- 
ing anything  into  it,  and  be  just  as  much  rewarded  as  if  he 
had  brought  the  Ganges  into  the* temple,  provided  that  he  place 
something  in  the  box.  But  if  you  throw  all  the  flowers  in 
Benares  into  the  tank,  and  only  look  at  the  box,  be  good  enough 
to  remember  that  you  are  still  an  unregenerate  Hindoo,  and 
not  at  all  a  favourite  of  the  very  respectable  deity  who,  strange 
to  say,  prefers  for  a  dwelling-place  one  of  the  most  horrible 
stench-holes  in  the  universe.  We,  as  pilgrims,  held  our  noses 
and  gave  up  our  purses.  It  was  an  act  of  homage  which  the 
priests  understood  and  approved — the  most  effective  way  of 
doing  Poojah  at  the  Gyan  Bapee. 

Other  wells  in  Benares  are  almost  equally  holy — one  named 
Mankarnika,  which  is  said  to  have  been  built  by  divine  hands, 
and  sanctified  by  the  dropping  of  one  of  Parvati's  earrings  into 
the  water.  The  dropping  of  flowers  and  refuse  into  the  water 
since  that  memorable  moment  has  made  it  so  unbearable  a 
cesspool  that  one  glance  is  sufficient,  and  a  hasty  retreat  neces- 
sary. We  did  no  Poojah  here — perhaps  we  were  good  enough 
already.  A  Brahmin  told  me — he  was  a  highly  educated  man 
— that  originally  the  well  was  filled  with  the  perspiration  from 
Vishnu's  body ;  but  it  was  his  belief,  and  here  he  became  quite 


224  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

confidential,  that  Vishnu  had  not  visited  the  well  for  some  time 
— a  statement  which  credits  Vishnu  with  great  good  sense. 
But  the  Brahmin  was  an  attendant  on  a  rival  well,  so  he  must 
not  be  implicitly  trusted. 

From  the  well  a  move  was  made  to  the  Observatory,  where 
a  considerable  number  of  interesting  objects  were  to  be  viewed. 
There  was  a  stone  wall  eleven  feet  high,  nine  feet  one  inch 
broad,  in  the  plain  of  the  meridian,  which  is  used  as  a  quadrant, 
and  I  was  told  that  the  sun's  altitude  and  zenith  distance  at 
noon,  as  well  as  its  greatest  declination,  and  the  latitude  of  the 
place,  could  all  be  ascertained  by  the  help  of  this  instrument — 
if  so  a  stone  wall  can  be  named — by  a  very  aged  and  excessively 
clingy  astronomer,  who  was  chattering  in  Tamil  to  one  of  the 
party.  There  were  two  large  circles  of  stone,  and  a  square,  and 
another  arrangement  of  stone  in  the  shape  of  a  staircase,  by  all 
of  which  various  astronomical  problems  may,  it  is  said,  be 
worked.  The  staircase  was  called  Yantrasamrat,  or  Prince  of 
Instruments ;  and  a  very  knowing  old  gentleman  was  pointed 
out  who  could  tell  the  declination  or  right  ascension  of  a  star 
by  the  aid  of  it.  As  a  staircase,  I  may  impartially  admit  that 
it  was  respectably  constructed,  and  not  difficult  of  ascent; 
moreover,  that  it  afforded  an  admirable  view  of  the  city  and 
the  river,  when  once  we  were  perched  on  the  topmost  step.  As 
to  its  use  as  an  astronomical  "  guide,  philosopher,  and  friend,'' 
I  can  say  nothing.  The  old  gentleman  tried  to  explain  some- 
thing to  me,  but  as  his  language  was  not  similar  to  mine,  the 
conversation  was  of  a  very  one-sided  character.  However,  the 
sum  of  two  annas,  politely  offered  and  gratefully  received,  was 
at  least  understood  and  accepted  in  lieu  of  learned  discourse. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


A   LEVEE   OF   THE   BRAVE. 


Lucknow  saw  the  levee  of  the  Brave.  Not  a  dress  exhibition 
of  such  braves  as  may  be  found  anywhere  ready  to  march  past 
a  Prince — the  brave  in  gold  and  tinsel,  in  moustaches  and 
uniforms ;  but  the  brave  who,  at  the  peril  of  their  lives,  and 
despite  the  entreaties  of  friends,  remained  true  to  the  flag  at  a 
moment  when  fidelity  promised  nothing  but  suffering. 

It  was  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  a  sharp  drive 
landed  me  in  the  midst  of  an  extraordinary  scene.  In  the  back- 
ground stood  a  pile  of  charred  ruins,  bullet-seamed,  shell-beaten, 
fire-broken  heaps  of  stones.  A  circle  of  trees  enclosed  the 
whole  scene — trees  heavy  with  foliage,  deep  groves  of  bright 
green  leaves.  In  the  centre  was  a  mound  of  earth,  on  the  top 
of  which  was  a  triangle  of  wood,  surmounted  by  two  Union 
Jacks.  In  front  and  on  the  two  other  sides,  the  third  of  which 
was  the  ruin  I  have  referred  to,  were  long  lines  of  troops ;  those 
in  front  Sikh  and  Punjabee  regiments,  attired  somewhat  after 
the  fashion  of  Highland  soldiers,  except  that  they  wear 
"  breeks,"  while  those  at  the  sides  were  European  battalions. 
In  rear  of  the  Sikhs,  and  under  the  shade  of  the  trees,  two 
batteries  of  artillery  were  drawn  up  ready  to  salute.  Inside 
the  space  thus  held  by  the  soldiers,  and  close  to  the  mound, 
were  ladies  and  gentlemen  in  brilliant  costumes.  Natives,  too, 
in  the  bright-hued  dresses  of  holiday  attire,  helped  to  fill  in  the 
already  striking  picture  by  clustering  round  the  lines  of  the 
troops  and  endeavouring  to  peer  over  their  shoulders  and 
between  their  fixed  bayonets.     But  neither  ladies  nor  gentle- 


226  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

men,  English  nor  Punjabee  soldiers,  were  the  most  notable  of 
those  present.  The  dark  hues  of  the  artillery  and  Sikhs  con- 
trasted with  the  bright  scarlet  of  the  Line;  the  deep,  full 
turbans  of  the  Punjabees  and  the  helmets  of  the  English,  with 
the  snowy  white  puggarees  of  the  Bengalese — all  this  and  much 
more  might  have  been  noted,  but  they  were  not  all.  Only  as 
a  setting  to  a  rich  gem  such  as  might  be  gazed  at  again  and 
again,  could  all  this  be  considered.  You  wonder  what  this  may 
be.  On  the  top  of  the  mound,  close  by  the  foundation  stone, 
stand  some  two  hundred  veterans,  grizzled  and  -grey,  their 
breasts  covered  with  medals  and  stars  of  valour.  Their  uni- 
forms are  as  varied  as  are  their  castes  and  races.  Sikhs  tall 
and  stalwart,  Bengalese  small  and  wiry,  Portuguese  and  half- 
caste,  Punjabees  and  natives  of  the  Malabar  coast,  all  are  there. 
These  are  the  brave  of  Lucknow,  the  natives  who  kept  yonder 
charred  ruined  in  those  dark  days  when  death  stared  them  in 
the  face  and  escape  seemed  only  possible  by  treachery. 

Suddenly  the  guns  under  the  trees  thunder  out  a  salute. 
How  the  buildings  rattle,  how  the  noise  echoes  through  the 
corridors  of  the  ruin  !  From  the  very  spot  where  that  artillery 
is  placed — not  one  gun  at  a  time,  but  fifty,  loaded  to  the 
muzzle  with  grape  and  canister,  or  crammed  with  heavy  shot, 
hurled  missiles  against  those  trembling  walls.  Ladies  and 
men,  too,  are  actually  shaking  their  heads  at  the  clatter  and  the 
din  which  these  little  nine-pounder  Armstrongs  make  as  they 
are  discharged  singly.  The  veterans  on  the  mound  swerve  not ; 
they  could  tell  you  of  an  hour  when  the  earth  trembled  with 
the  vibration  of  artillery,  when  thousands  of  blood-thirsty 
ruffians,  hidden  away  under  the  trees  round  the  mound,  were 
discharging  their  muskets  every  moment  at  anything  that  ap- 
peared like  a  human  being  on  the  walls  of  the  Residency.  One 
gun,  forsooth  ! — that  pandemonium  of  1857  cannot  be  forgotten 
in  the  clatter  and  the  din  of  to-day.  The  firing  is  not  intended, 
however,  to  remind  us  of  the  terrible  noise  of  the  Lucknow 


A  LEVEE  OF  THE  BBAVE.  227 

siege;  it  is  a  salute — a  sound  of  joy.  The  Prince  is  coming, 
attended  by  his  suite,  to  lay  the  foundation-stone  of  a  memorial 
to  the  native  brave  who  fell  in  the  fight,  in  the  presence  of  the 
brave  who  survive. 

All  on  a  sudden  the  word  of  command  is  given  for  a  Royal 
salute  j  arms  are  presented  along  the  lines ;  the  bands  united 
play  the  National  Anthem,  and  the  Prince  and  his  suite,  the 
Duke  of  Sutherland,  Lord  Alfred  Paget,  Lord  Sufiield,  Lord 
Aylesford,  Colonel  Owen  Williams,  Major  Sartorius,  Mr. 
Knollys,  and  some  other  persons,  come  past  the  corner  of  the 
ruins,  and  so  upon  the  mound.  The  veterans  raise  their  hands 
to  their  foreheads ;  the  spectators  bare  their  heads ;  the  Prince 
bows ;  and  then  Mr.  Cooper,  himself  one  of  the  members  of  the 
brave  band  who  held  the  Residency,  steps  forward  and  delivers 
an  oration  on  the  merits  of  the  grey  soldiers  who  stand  before 
the  Prince.  It  is  a  subject  upon  which  he  may  well  be  eloquent. 
Who  could  not  wax  warm  when  dwelling  on  that  fight  of 
heroes  ?  His  address,  too,  is  extempore,  and,  what  is  more  to 
the  purpose,  at  times  impassioned.  He  remembers  the  dark 
days  when,  had  yonder  brave  men  faltered,  the  dark  sea  of 
iebellion  had  swallowed  them  up  alive  ;  and,  mindful  of  the  fact 
that  he  is  one  of  those  who  owe  their  lives  to  the  fidelity  of  the 
vieux  soldats,  he  stints  not  language  in  telling  of  their  deeds  of 
valour.  You  and  I  have  heard  addresses  of  which  we  grew 
tired ;  many  a  time  we  have  wished  the  laboured  speech  could 
be  "taken  as  read."  But  in  presence  of  the  dark  ruins,  in 
presence  of  the  piece  of  stone  which,  hanging  from  the  triangle 
of  wood,  is  to  commemorate  forever,  telling  to  generations  un- 
born the  grand  deeds  which  faithful  natives  achieved,  he  may 
well  be  careless  of  time.  How  one  turns  round  and  looks  with 
new  interest  at  the  tiny  fortress,  the  mere  house  in  fact,  which 
for  five  months  sustained  that  terrible  siege !  How  shut  out 
from  all  the  world  it  seems  by  that  dense  circle  of  trees  !  Why, 
it  is  in  a  hollow,  that  hollow  in  the  centre  of  a  wide-stretching 


228  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

plain  which  it  has  taken  you  hours  in  a  swift  morning  train  to 
pass  over.  You  remember  that  when  these  veterans  were  in 
those  battered  walls,  help  was  far  away,  and  vengeance  very 
near.  You  need  not  fancy  to  paint  the  myriads  of  bloodthirsty 
villains  in  the  groves,  or  working  under  cover  of  huts  and 
broken  houses,  close  by  the  Residency.  Gaze  around  you  ;  place 
a  musket  in  the  hands  of  the  thousands  who  are  now  quietly 
looking  on  this  peaceful  scence;  send  500  men,  women,  and 
children  into  the  "  fort "  once  more,  give  to  the  Sikhs  and 
Punjabee  regiments,  with  many  more  of  their  comrades,  plenty 
or  artillery,  an  unlimited  supply  of  ammunition,  and  leave  to 
kill  and  destroy — thought  need  travel  no  further — yet  you  have 
not  then  half  pictured  the  scene  which  Lucknow  beheld  before 
Havelock  had  reached  it,  while  yet  Lawrence  lived. 

The  Prince  as  he  stands  there  is  evidently  no  careless  listener. 
Without  any  sign  of  weariness  he  hears  Mr.  Cooper  to  the  end, 
and  then,  without  notes  of  any  kind,  touches  his  hat  and  replies. 
Brief  but  to  the  point  are  the  words  he  chooses.  He  acknow- 
ledges the  bravery  of  the  men  he  meets  to-day ;  he  praises  them 
for  their  fidelity,  and  then  points  out  that  such  monuments  as 
that  about  to  be  constructed  must  tend  to  the  good  of  all,  must 
act  as  incentives  to  bravery  and  fidelity  to  Europeans  and 
natives  alike/  Then,  moving  back  to  the  stone,  His  Royal 
Highness  takes  the  trowel  in  hand  with  all  the  air  of  an  accomp- 
lished mason,  and  spreading  the  mortar  carefully,  while  the 
veterans  look  curiously  and  inquisitively  on,  himself  superin- 
tends the  placing  of  the  stone,  gives  it  three  taps  with  the 
mallet,  and  declares  it  well  and  truly  laid. 

Then  comes  the  lev£e  of  the  brave.  There  is  no  raised  dais, 
no  servants  with  maces,  no  punkah-bearers,  no  carriers  of  um- 
brellas, no  clerkly  person  to  call  over  a  roll  of  names.  There 
are  those  on  the  Prince's  suite  who  would  like  something  a 
little  more  stately — some  fitting  ceremony  in  a  proper  place — 
somewhere  from  which  the  common  herd  could  be  excluded 


A  LEVEE  OF  THE  BRAVE.  229 

and  from  which  special  correspondents  might  be  shut  out. 
This  is  scarcely  dignified  enough  for  such  exquisites ;  and  one 
or  two  of  them  do  not  fail  to  say  so.  But  the  Prince  is  of 
more  sensible  stuff,  is  more  of  a  man  than  many  around  him, 
and  he  holds  his  levee  of  the  brave  in  sight  of  the  place  where 
their  glorious  deeds  were  done.  Standing,  then,  on  the  green 
mound — a  little  in  advance  of  his  suite — his  Royal  Highness 
awaits  the  introduction  of  his  courtiers.  Major  Cubitt  at  once 
steps  forward  to  act  as  Master  of  the  Ceremonies ;  Canon  Duck- 
worth, minister  of  peace,  but  none  the  less  admirer  of  the  brave, 
assumes  the  role  of  Assistant-Master  of  Ceremonies;  Lord 
Alfred  Paget  and  General  Probyn  are  close  at  hand  to  direct 
the  movements  of  the  veterans  as  they  pass  by,  and  thus  the 
Court  is  formed. 

The  first  who  have  the  honour  of  being  introduced  to  the 
Prince  are  a  number  of  scarlet-coated  Jemindars  and  Soubad- 
hars  who  have  since  the  memorable  days  of  1857  risen  from 
the  ranks  to  the  dignity  of  officers.  As  they  go  by  they  salute 
the  Prince,  and  then,  at  the  bidding  of  General  Probyn,  hold 
out  the  handles  of  their  swords,  whereupon  the  Prince  touches 
them,  and  the  veterans,  saluting  again,  move  on  slowly.  These 
officers  know  their  duty,  are  well  disciplined,  and  have  not  for- 
gotten the  rules  of  the  service.  Not  so  those  who  follow  them. 
These  have,  since  the  days  when  they  were  on  parade — years 
ago  in  the  case  of  many  of  them — lost  sight  of  the  golden  maxim 
of  strict  obedience,  and  are  altogether  unmindful  of  the  injunc- 
tion to  "  move  on."  They  linger,  indeed,  as  long  as  they  possibly 
can,  gazing  wistfully  into  the  face  of  the  "  Burra  Sahib,"  the 
Prince,  for  whose  Boyal  mother  they  once  fought  so  well. 
They  are  not  content  with  one  salute,  or  two  even,  but  raise 
their  withered  hands  over  and  over  again  to  their  grey  heads, 
and  smilingly  bow  to  the  great  stranger  without  so  much  as  a 
notion  of  leaving  the  mound  and  making  room  for  some  one 
else.     The  Prince,  too,  shows  no  haste  to  be  rid  of  them,  but 


230  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

good  naturedly  bows  to  each  of  them  several  times,  smiling  at 
their  honest,  loyal  enthusiasm,  and  forgetting  for  the  moment 
that  the  sun  is  setting.  Very  differently,  however,  does  the 
stern,  though  kindly  General  Probyn  view  the  matter.  All 
must  pass  the  Prince,  or  endless  jealousies  would  be  aroused 
and  grievous  wrong  done — therefore  all  must  obey  the  rule  of 
motion,  and  go  forward.  So  when  one  lingers  long  he  is  taken 
gently  by  the  arm,  and  passed  quietly  along  to  the  rear  of  the 
mound,  generally  receiving  in  such  a  case  a  kindly  word  from 
Lord  Alfred  Paget  or  a  pressure  of  the  hand  from  the  worthy 
Canon  Duckworth.  The  old  soldiers  seem  to  understand  it  all 
— at  any  rate,  they  are  the  last  men  in  the  world  to  mutiny 
now  that  they  know  what  the  Sahibs  wish. 

Then  come  by  a  number  of  turbaned  veterans,  in  light  brown 
uniforms.  Many  of  them  have  four  medals  on  their  breasts ; 
they  are  now  officers  in  the  police,  and  admirable  fellows  they 
are.  They,  too,  hold  out  their  sword-handles,  which  are  touched. 
After  them  come  a  number  of  old  men,  whose  appearance  fills 
the  eyes  of  many  present  with  tears.  There  is  one  who  can 
only  walk  with  the  aid  of  his  two  sons,  for  he  is  blind ;  a 
splinter  of  shell  within  the  walls  of  the  ruins  deprived  him 
of  sight ;  another,  who  cannot  walk  at  all,  even  with  help, 
but  who  comes  by  on  the  palms  of  his  hands,  swinging  a 
crippled  body  as  he  moves  along.  How  that  poor  face  lights 
up  with  joy  as  he  is  addressed  by  the  Prince,  and  actually 
asked  to  extend  his  hand  that  his  Royal  Highness  may 
touch  it !  This  is,  indeed,  an  honour  which  he  had  never  ex- 
pected— to  have  his  hand  taken  by  one  who  is  greater  than  the 
greatest  Princes  of  his  own  land.  To  be  spoken  to  at  all  seems 
too  great  an  honour  to  one  poor  old  fellow,  who  forthwith  bursts 
out  crying,  and  has  to  be  led  away  sobbing  by  Canon  Duck- 
worth. It  is,  indeed,  too  much  for  many  of  the  poor  souls,  who 
quite  forget  the  necessity  for  going  on,  and,  lost  in  amazement, 
btund  chattering  and  gibbering  like  bewildered  monkeys.  Some- 


A  LEVEE  OF  TlSE  BRAVE.  231 

times,  however,  a  smile  is  raised  by  the  furtive  attempt  of 
some  disappointed  one  who  has  carefully  prepared  a  petition 
which  he  intends  to  present  to  the  Prince.  Furtively  he  con- 
ceals it  in  the  palm  of  his  hand,  and  just  when  he  thinks 
General  Probyn's  quick  eye  is  a  little  less  wakeful  than  usual, 
he  pushes  the  paper  into  the  Prince's  hand.  But  it  is  all  to  no 
purpose.  The  Prince  would  look  at  it,  perhaps ;  but  he  must 
not.  The  crumpled,  soiled  document  is  promptly  handed  back 
to  its  owner,  who  shuffles  away  full  of  disappointment.  What 
is  his  grievance  ?  Can  it  be  that  some  of  those  brave  ones  who 
saved  India  for  us  are  in  actual  want  1  I  hear  a  whisper  that 
such  is  the  case.  Would  that  that  whisper  could  be  proved  un- 
true !     I  fear  it  cannot. 

In  this  way  the  procession  moves  past.  There  is  a  man  with 
only  one  leg  and  another  with  a  curiously  wounded  foot,  which 
he  shows  the  Prince ;  another  has  no  legs  at  all ;  several  have 
only  one  arm.  In  uniforms  they  vary,  as  I  have  said,  very 
greatly.  One  old  gentleman  has  got  on  a  coat  which  looks  as 
though  it  belonged  to  a  field- marshals  uniform ;  another  looks 
like  a  Frenchman  of  Ponclicherry.  They  totter  up  one  after 
another ;  some  are  touched  on  the  hands ;  others  are  specially 
introduced  to  the  Prince  by  Major  Cubitt.  Men  who  carried 
messages  through  the  enemy's  camp ;  men  who  risked  their 
lives  over  and  Over  again  in  open  conflict ;  men  who  were 
patiently  faithful  in  the  presence  of  all  kinds  of  temptation  and 
danger — such  were  honourably  mentioned  as  they  went  by. 
Two  hundred  men  of  an  Old  Guard,  superior  in  point  of  bravery 
to  the  windy  corps  that  made  its  boast  that  it  died  but  never 
surrendered ;  two  hundred  faithful  followers  of  Horatius,  who 
in  days  of  old  kept  the  bridge ;  two  hundred  valiant  ones  thus 
passed  by  the  Prince  in  presence  of  many  thousands  of  their 
countrymen  just  outside  the  city  of  Lucknow.  Then,  the  levee 
over,  the  troops  once  more  presented  arms,  and  again  the  band 
played.     The  guns  rattled  out  a  Koyal  salute,  and  the  Prince 


232  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

passed  to  his  carriage.  While  many  a  one,  mindful  of  the  days 
in  which  the  veterans  gained  their  honours,  wandered  into  the 
Residency,  through  the  vaults,  between  the  bullet-scarred  pil- 
lars, and  past  the  loopholed  walls,  wondering  how  so  frail  a 
structure,  riddled  as  it  was  with  shot  and  shell,  could  he  held 
for  an  hour  against  the  hordes  of  the  rebellious  soldiers — what 
thoughts  came  into  our  minds  at  such  a  moment  time  forbids  to 
tell.  How  the  tablet  which  marks  where  Lawrence  fell,  the 
board  which  points  out  where  the  Baillie  guard  was  stationed, 
the  charred  walls  and  the  sashless  windows,  affected  such  of  us 
as  had  never  looked  on  so  thrilling  a  scene  before,  need  not  be 
dwelt  upon.  The  levee  of  the  brave  was  over ;  darkness  was 
coming  on ;  it  was  high  time  to  leave  the  scene  of  England's 
pride  and  her  enemies'  humiliation. 

The  next  day  was  partly  spent  in  an  inspection  of  the  ruins 
of  Lucknow,  and  partly  in  a  pig-sticking  expedition,  which  was 
about  as  unsuccessful  as  the  previous  attempts  of  the  Royal 
party,  and  resulted  in  an  accident  to  Lord  Carington,  who  broke 
his  collar-bone  while  attempting  to  spear  a  boar. 

On  the  previous  evening,  however,  a  short  ceremony  took 
place  in  the  Kaiser  Bagh,  or  King's  Residence,  which  deserves 
some  notice. 

The  Talukdars  of  Oude  are,  without  doubt,  a  noble  set  of 
men;  their  dresses  may  be  eccentric  and  their  habits  objection- 
able, but  in  their  veins  runs  the  blood  of  the  barons  who  had 
titles  when  our  respected  ancestors  lived  upon  acorns  and  made 
their  toilets  with  the  aid  of  blue  pigment.  When,  therefore,  a 
gilt  card  was  received  announcing  that  the  Talukdars  of 
Oude  "  requested  the  honour  "  of  my  company,  I  looked  upon 
the  missive  with  about  the  same  feelings  that  would  animate  a 
caballero  of  Spain  were  he  invited  by  all  their  worships  of 
Castile  to  favour  them  with  his  company.  There  was  nothing 
on  the  document  to  denote  the  nature  of  the  ceremony  con- 
templated.   It  might  be  a  Nautch  dance  and  a  song  or  two  from 


A  LEVEE  OF  TEE  BRAVE.  233 

the  rival  of  Mr.  Chuckerbutty,  of  Calcutta.  It  could  not  well 
be  a  banquet,  for  the  hour  was  too  late ;  and  if  only  an  address 
were  to  be  presented  to  the  Prince,  the  occasion  could  scarcely 
be  styled  a  fete.  There  was  something  very  mysterious  about 
it,  and  I  accordingly  set  off  early  in  search  of  the  famous  hall, 
was  ushered  in  with  equal  expedition  by  a  mute  giant  who 
carried  a  sword,  and  so  entered  the  apartment  in  which  the 
entertainment  was  to  take  place. 

I  remember,  when  very  young,  receiving  as  a  present  from  a 
thoughtful  friend  a  box  of  wooden  slabs  on  which  were  imprinted 
representations  of  the  Kings  and  Queens  of  England.  But  for 
the  knowledge  that  I  was  actually  with  the  Talukdars  of  Oude, 
I  should  have  imagined  that  those  slabs  had  been  vivified  in 
some  unknown  way,  and  that  the  Kings  of  England  were  all 
walking  about  in  the  room.  There  were  no  Queens.  Elizabeth 
v<  ith  her  abnormally  long  bodice  and  huge  frill,  and  the  much 
meeker  Queen  Anne,  were  neither  of  them  to  be  seen;  but 
King  John  most  distinctly  sat  in  a  corner  with  the  very  crown 
he  always  used  to  wear,  according  to  those  painted  bricks,  on 
his  head  and  his  sceptre  in  his  left  hand,  also  like  the  ancient 
picture.  King  Richard,  a  little  dark  perhaps,  but  undoubtedly 
the  original  Cceur  de  Lion,  marched  up  and  down  with  a  great 
hatchet  in  his  belt  and  a  very  serviceable-looking  steel  coronet 
on  his  head ;  and  although  I  could  not  detect  Eufus  of  the  red 
hair,  I  came  across  Edward  II.  two  minutes  afterwards.  Indeed, 
had  I  still  had  those  bricks  with  me,  I  could  have  fixed  upon 
the  names  of  every  one  present  in  a  few  minutes,  for  the  twenty 
or  thirty  gentlemen  present  all  wore  crowns,  and  though  some 
were  seated  on  chairs  and  others  squatted  on  the  floor,  they 
looked  all  of  them  kings  "  ©very  inch."  One,  however, 
attracted  my  particular  attention,  and,  without  minute  reference 
to  history,  I  named  him  Edmund  the  Uneasy.  Incessantly  this 
worthy  monarch  wandered  about  as  though  he  were  the  troubled 
ghost  of  somebody  who,  having  centuries  ago  hidden  his  crown, 

13 


234  WITH  THE  PIUNCE  IN  INDIA. 

had  come  back  to  tell  treasure-seekers  where  to  find  it.  His 
mission,  however,  turned  out  to  be  the  very  reverse  of  this,  and 
what  tli  at  was  will  presently  transpire.  Up  to  this  the  Kings 
were  all  alone — no  one  else  had  had  the  curiosity  to  come  early 
— but  now  the  company  began  to  arrive  and  to  be  placed.  The 
natives  who  came  found  no  difficulty  in  this.  The  floor  was 
wide  ;  it  was  only  necessary  to  preserve  the  line  of  march  to  a 
throne  which  stood  at  one  end  of  the  room,  so  they  pleasantly 
sat  down  on  the  boards,  crossed  their  feet  and  their  hands,  and 
were  happy.  As  for  the  Europeans,  they  stood  in  the  rear,  or 
walked  out  on  to  a  large  balcony  where  chairs  were  placed,  and 
whence  they  could  see  the  illuminations  of  Lucknow. 

All  this*time  Edmund  the  Uneasy  flitted  about  anxiously. 
At  length  he  appeared  to  gain  confidence,  and  after  some  con- 
sideration invited  several  of  us  into  an  inner  room  where  lay 
the  treasure  he  so  carefully  guarded.  There  were  golden  vessels 
for  betel  nut  and  pan  leaves,  intended  specially,  we  were  told, 
for  the  use  of  the  Princess  of  Wales,  though  in  what  way  her 
Royal  Highness  is  to  use  them  we  were  not  told.  But  these 
were  only  subsidiary  gifts.  The  real  present  was  a  great  crown 
of  crimson  velvet  and  gold,  covered  with  gems  of  considerable 
value,  and  decorated  with  all  the  skill  that  natives  could  devise. 
We  were  not  allowed  to  touch  the  precious  head-dress — only  to 
look,  being  kept  at  a  very  respectful  distance,  while  the  crown 
was  lifted  an  inch  or  so  out  of  its  case,  and  then  popped  back 
as  quickly  as  though  it  had  been  a  sensitive  plate  which  could 
not  bear  the  light.  Just  at  this  moment  a  band  announced  the 
approach  of  the  Prince,  whereupon  five  or  six  Talukdars  entered 
the  apartment  and  proceeded  at  once  to  take  charge  of  the 
treasure.  Then  a  procession  was  formed,  which,  between  the 
rows  of  people  seated  on  the  floor,  passed  up  to  where  the 
Prince  was  with  the  crown,  and  the  betel  nut  and  pan-leaf 
cases,  and  a  huge  address  on  an  enormous  roll.  I  do  not  know 
what  the  Prince  thought  of  the  apparition ;  but  he  had  plenty 


A  LEVEE  OF  TEE  BRAVE.  235 

of  time  to  recover  his  composure  before  the  address  was  finished; 
for  the  declaration  of  loyalty  from  the  Barons  of  Oude  was  not 
a  light  or  insignificant  document,  but  a  work  of  considerable 
labour,  and  as  such  required  to  be  read  slowly  and  with  em- 
phasis. At  length  it  ended,  the  crown  and  other  presents  were 
produced  and  accepted,  the  Prince  returned  thanks,  and  then 
a  general  move  was  made  first  of  all  to  the  balcony  for  a  peep 
at  the  fire-works,  and  then  to  the  supper  table,  where  Taluk- 
dars  and  people  who  till  that  night  were  not  even  aware  that 
such  notabilities  existed  sat  down  together  and  feasted.  A 
notable  fact  in  connection  with  the  visit  to  Lucknow  might 
here  be  mentioned.  Both  on  coming  to  and  departing  from  the 
fete  the  Prince  received  a  royal  salute  of  artillery ;  his  every 
movement,  indeed,  was  the  signal  for  heavy  firing — an  arrange- 
ment which  seemed  to  impress  the  native  mind  most  satis- 
factorily. 

"  I  was  standing  by  this  well,  air,"  said  an  old  Sikh  to  me  as 
we  passed  through  the  Residency,  "  saying  prayers  to  my  God, 
when  two  bullets  came  and  killed  an  English  officer  who  was 
on  one  side  of  me,  and  a  comrade  who  stood  on  the  other.  I 
come  to  this  well  every  year  now  to  say  a  prayer,  and  that  is 
why  I  am  here  to-day."  It  was  a  grand  old  veteran  who  thus 
spoke,  one  who  had  been  presented  to  the  Prince  the  previous 
day,  on  whose  breast  four  medals  and  the  star,  which  bears  the 
words  "  For  Valour,"  hung ;  so  we  thankfully  accepted  his 
offer  to  guide  our  portion  of  the  party  over  the  ground  so  bravely 
held  by  Sir  Henry  Lawrence. 

Lucknow  Residency  has  been  too  often  described  for  a  detail- 
ed account  of  what  the  Prince  saw  to  be  written.  Yet  there 
are  several  facts  to  be  mentioned.  We  found  the  ruins  them- 
selves in  excellent  preservation ;  the  tops  of  the  broken  walls 
had  been  covered  with  a  composition  which  retained  the  loose 
stones  in  their  places ;  and  the  Residency  bids  fair  to  stand, 
black,  shot-riddled,  ruin  as  it  is,  as  a  monument  of  English 


236  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

end  a  ranee.  Here  and  there  plants  have  climbed  the  walls, 
found  their  way  through  holes,  and  covered  desolate  corners 
with  a  warm  covering  of  leaves ;  but  this  does  not  affect  the 
appearance  of  the  place.  These  bare  walls  tell  their  own  tale, 
though  the  ground  round  them  is  now  converted  into  one  of  the 
loveliest  gardens,  and  roses  and  honeysuckles  are  being  trained 
up  the  tower.  Happily  the  spot  where  each  particularly  brave 
action  and  heroic  deed  occurred  has  been  fixed,  so  that  the 
Prince  as  he  went  along  could  learn,  from  tables  fixed  on  little 
pillars  specially  erected,  which  was  Sikh-square,  where  were 
Inglis'  quarters,  where  the  celebrated  house  in  which  Mr.  Gub- 
bins  lived,  and  in  what  room  the  brave  Sir  Henry  Lawrence 
died.  Even  the  rent  by  which  that  fatal  shell  entered  was 
pointed  out,  and  the  places  struck  by  pieces  of  the  fragments 
noted.  Some  one  complained  that  the  monument  which  was 
erected  some  years  ago  inside  the  garden,  had  been  placed  upon 
a  mound,  and  by  that  means  a  full  view  of  the  position  was  ob- 
structed. But  when  the  celebrated  tower  was  ascended  the 
whole  was  seen  at  once,  and  the  fearful  odds  against  which  the 
handful  of  British  soldiers  fought  appreciated. 

A  field  of  moderate  size,  partly  enclosed  by  a  wall,  partly  by 
a  hedge,  containing  two  or  three  buildings  of  no  very  solid 
description — such  was  the  place  which  these  brave  people  held. 
They  were  shut  out  from  all  the  world,  could  see  nothing  but 
the  trees  and  the  enemy,  except  when  they  ascended  the  tower, 
where  the  distant  river  and  the  stone  bride  by  which  the  muti- 
neers eventually  escaped  could  be  descried.  I  do  not  think  the 
Prince  went  down  into  the  cellars  in  which  the  women  and 
children  were  placed,  but  some  of  us  did,  and  found  the  place 
in  the  same  condition  as  they  left  it  in,  except  for  the  fact  that 
all  the  Smiths,  Browns,  Joneses,  and  Robinsons  in  the  world 
appear  to  have  written  their  names  on  the  wall  with  a  number 
of  remarks,  amongst  which  passages  of  Scripture  are  frequent. 
It  is  a  pity  that  for  such  an  outrago  they  were  not  shut  up  in 


A  LEVEE  OF  TEE  BRAVE.  237 

the  vaults  for  a  few  days  in  the  hot  weather — their  loquacity 
would  have  diminished  with  considerable  rapidity. 

The  Secunder  Bagh,  where  two  thousand  rebels  were  caught 
and  put  to  death,  a  great  square  enclosed  by  a  high  wall,  re- 
mains as  it  was,  save  that  a  road  has  been  run  through  at  one 
end.  Still  the  walls  are  otherwise  untouched;  the  loopholes 
which  the  Sepoys  made  are  there  yet ;  the  gate  is  a  ruin,  and 
the  tomb  inside,  a  wreck.  All  over  the  ground  a  number  of 
young  trees  are  shooting  up,  so  that  in  process  of  time  the  scene 
of  the  massacre  will  be  exceedingly  pretty.  Where  Havelock 
rests  in  the  Alumbagh  roses  cover  the  ground ;  the  walls  here, 
too,  are  untouched,  the  breaches  made  in  them  have  been  left 
as  they  were,  and  the  palace  itself  has  not  been  repaired.  Most 
of  the  party  received  from  the  hands  of  a  native  who  takes 
charge  of  the  grave  a  bunch  of  roses  and  other  blossoms  as  a 
souvenir  of  the  place. 

At  Cawnpore  the  Prince's  visit  was  a  very  short  one.  His 
Royal  Highness  arrived  late  in  the  afternoon,  dined  at  the  house 
of  one  of  the  local  civilians,  visited  the  scenes  of  the  massacre, 
the  Memorial  Gardens,  the  river,  and  the  church,  and  then  took 
his  departure  for  Delhi.  A  full  moon  had  risen  in  a  cloudless 
sky  when  we  started  for  these  historic  places.  Of  course  there 
was  a  certain  order  to  be  observed,  quite  different  from  what 
the  chronologial  course  of  events  would  warrant,  but  in  the 
end  everything  was  shown  us. 

The  first  place  to  which  we  drove  was  the  well,  situated  in 
the  centre  of  magnificent  gardens,  at  the  gates  of  which  all 
natives  were  requested  to  remain.  Slowly  moving  up  the  path- 
way between  richly-flowering  beds  of  roses,  the  cuttings  for 
which  had  come  from  England,  we  came  at  last  to  the  Memorial, 
"  sacred  to  the  perpetual  memory  "  of  the  slain.  As  is  already 
well  known,  the  well  is  covered  with  a  marble  seraph,  which, 
with  outstretched  wings,  watches  over  the  place  where  the  dead 
were  hidden.     I  cannot  describe  the  effect  of  the  bright  moon's 


238  WITH  TEE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

rays  on  the  white  marble  work— how  the  whole  memorial  stood 
out  in  its  lonely  grandeur  on  that  delightful  night.  They  did 
well  to  exclude  natives  from  the  place ;  the  feeling  aroused  by 
the  sight  of  that  memorial  and  the  adjacent  graveyard  is  not 
congenial  to  them.  The  slaughter-house  where  women  and 
children  were  hacked  to  pieces  is  gone,  but  scores  of  graves, 
some  with  monuments  erected  by  "  passers-by,"  by  "  brother- 
soldiers,"  by  "  men  of  the  regiment,"  and  some  without  either 
name  or  date,  tell  their  own  story.  Over  each  hang  roses  from 
England ;  the  grass  is  carefully  tended,  the  pathway  admirably 
kept.  If  they  must  be  buried  in  alien  soil,  no  more  beautiful 
spot  could  be  discovered  in  the  world. 

From  thence  to  the  Memorial  Church,  which  is  an  extremely 
pretty  red  brick  building,  and  built  on  the  site  of  Wheeler's  en- 
trenchment, was  no  very  great  distance.  It  has  only  just  been 
consecrated,  and  has  therefore  an  appearance  of  newness,  which 
does  not  quite  accord  with  the  objects  around  it.  It  also  boasts 
an  echo,  which,  I  am  told,  bewilders  the  clergyman  and  as- 
tonishes his  hearers,  so  that,  en  the  whole  it  is  scarcely  a  suc- 
cess. But  we  had  little  time  for  a  prolonged  inspection,  having 
to  hurry  away  to  the  river  side  where  the  Nana  began  his  miser- 
able butcheries. 

Coming  to  the  top  of  a  slope  which  led  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  we  were  requested  to  dismount,  there  being  no  road  for 
carriages;  and  quitting  the  vehicles,  therefore,  at  the  corner 
where  the  victims  first  gave  themselves  into  the  hands  of  their 
destroyers,  and  where  later  on  the  brother  of  the  Nana  was 
hanged  on  a  gallows,  we  passed  down  the  gully  which  was  be- 
fore us.  It  was  no  great  length,  some  two  hundred  yards  per- 
haps, and  then  the  Hindoo  temple  in  which  the  Nana  planted 
his  cannon  was  reached.  The  scene  "of  so  much  villainy  is 
happily  a  ruin,  yet  not  so  greatly  destroyed  as  to  prevent  a  full 
appreciation  of  what  took  place  on  that  memorable  day.  On 
the  left  of  the  pile  was  the  place  at  which  the  fugitives  embark- 


A  LEVEE  OF  THE  BRAVE.  239 

ed ;  their  desire  was  to  pass  the  temple,  and  so  go  down  the 
river.  The  Nana  had  stationed  his  men  all  along  the  shore  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  in  the  temple  too,  and  how 
he  used  them  need  not  be  related  again.  An  aged  Hindoo  said 
that  the  Nana,  after  giving  the  order  for  the  massacre,  ran  away. 
I  connot  trust  myself  to  give  expression  to  the  feelings  which 
we  experienced  as  we  looked  at  the  astonishing  scene  in  the 
bright  moonlight. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A   REVIEW  OF   DELHI. 

Although  it  is  unnecessary  to  describe  at  length  the  Prince's 
entry  into  Delhi,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  of  all  places  in 
India  this  city  of  the  Moguls  boasts  historic  recollections  most 
dear  to  Englishmen.  It  was  the  scene  of  fighting  such  as  must 
ever  stamp  our  soldiers  as  the  bravest  of  the  brave,  the  centre 
and  the  stronghold  of  the  mutiny,  the  key  to  the  possession  of 
India ;  and  when  it  was  proposed,  therefore  to  hold  a  grand 
review  on  the  plains  where  less  than  twenty  years  ago  the 
great  struggle  took  place,  English  from  all  parts  of  the  land, 
from  the  plains  of  Madras  to  the  hills  of  Simla,  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Hooghly  and  the  frontier  of  the  Punjab,  from  Bombay 
and  even  from  Ceylon,  came  to  see  and  be  seen.  Nor  were 
these  all  the  strangers.  A  goodly  number  had  come  out  from 
the  mother  country  itself  to  be  present  at  the  spectacle  ;  there 
were  American  Generals  and  a  German  Count;  a  nervous  little 
man  whispered,  too,  that  there  were  Russian  spies,  which  was 
very  likely  true,  but  also  very  possibly  only  the  creation  of  the 
imagination.  Foremost  among  the  spectators  of  course  was  the 
Prince,  in  whose  honour,  indeed,  the  fete  was  to  take  place — 
one  which  will  long  be  remembered  in  military  annals. 

Six  o'clock  had  scarcely  struck,  when,  driving  into  the  road 
which  leads  to  the  Cashmere  State,  I  found  myself  in  a  motley 
throng  such  as  could  not  be  met  with  outside  of  India.  People 
in  every  description  of  clothing,  from  the  simple  waistcloth  to 
the  thick  quilt,  people  with  turbans  and  people  with  hats,  peo- 
ple on  horseback  and  people  afoot,  riding  on  elephants,  on  camels, 
on  mules,  on  cows,  some  in  open  carrriages,  and  others  in  the  plea- 


A  BE  VIEW  OF  DELHI,  241 

sant  vehicles  of  the  country — contrivances  somewhat  of  the 
shape  of  parrot  cages,  very  little  larger,  and  much  less  inviting 
— some  again  in  bullock  gharries,  and  others  in  nondescript 
carts,  which,  for  the  want  of  a  better  generic  title,  must  be 
called  gigs,  hundreds  in  close  oblong  boxes,  light  cabs,  and 
many  more  in  palanquins,  all  crowded  together  in  the  road, 
hustling,  shouting,  shrieking  at  each  other,  beating  their  ani- 
mals, occasionally  thrashing  each  other,  and  always  regardless 
of  the  comfort  or  convenience  of  everybody  else  save  themselves 
and  friends,  so  anxious  were  they  to  be  at  the  review.  For 
many  reasons  it  is  well  that  the  streets  of  Delhi  are  not  narrow. 
They  might  be  the  hiding-place  of  rebels  ;  they  would  certainly 
be  the  receptacle  of  much  that  is  equally  objectionable,  and, 
what  is  more  to  my  purpose  just  now,  would  have  been  simply 
impassable  to  such  a  mass  of  struggling  life  as  filled  them  that 
morning.  The  elephants  would  have  trodden  down  the  mules, 
the  camels  would  have  cannoned  against  the  horses,  bullocks 
would  have  run  wild,  gharries  been  upset,  and  soldiers  and 
civilians  alike,  horsemen  and  footmen  too,  would  have  been 
mingled  in  disaster.  Happily  this  was  not  the  case.  We 
grumbled,  we  shouted;  some,  sad  to  relate,  used  expressions 
which  would  have  shocked  good  Lord  Chesterfield;  we  now 
and  then  grazed  wheels,  trod  on  each  other's  corns — it  was  just 
as  well  not  to  tread  on  the  elephant's  toes — but,  though  we  all 
made  everybody  else  and  ourselves  supremely  uncomfortable, 
open  collision  was  avoided,  and,  like  a  very  troubled  stream, 
we  slowly  rolled  along.  Still  the  place  was  conveniently  fitted 
for  a  struggle — the  very  air  seemed  to  smell  of  powder. 

We  were  in  the  exact  place  where  in  1857  the  most  desper- 
ate fights  on  record  took  place.  For  were  we  not  under  the 
shelter  of  the  Cashmere  Gate,  that  terrible  entrance  which  wit- 
nessed the  slaughter  and  the  final  entry  of  the  British  troops — 
the  place  where  deeds  of  valour  were  done  at  which  both  lis- 
tener and  recounter  even  to-day  turn  pale  ?    Why,  yonder  was 


242    •  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

the  breach  made  by  the  English  guns,  now  filled  up  by  mud, 
but  never  to  be  rebuilt,  fit  monument  of  English  pluck  and 
Mohammedan  defeat.  We  can  fancy  how  the  crowd  of  treach- 
erous Sepoys  fled  as  red-coated  soldiers  poured  in  at  this  gate 
and  over  the  wall,  catching  them  at  the  base  of  a  stone  triangle 
and  bayonetting  them  as  they  ran.  Some  such  struggling  as 
then  was  seen  we  are  suffering  now.  Ours,  however,  is,  after 
all,  a  peaceful  fight,  a  bloodless  war,  a  strife  for  place,  not  for 
life — we  are  not  revengeful  or  despairing ;  we  only  wish  to  get 
away  from  each  other  to  be  the  best  of  friends  for  ever.  For- 
tunately for  us,  no  battery  is  placed  on  the  ridge  opposite  to 
meet  us  as  we  pass  through  the  gate,  and  throw  us  into  more 
confusion  than  ever ;  we  cross  the  breach  in  the  wall  and  the 
mosque  from  whence  it  was  made,  and  so  into  the  open  country, 
though  not  into  an  open  road.  There  is  no  space  anywhere — 
it  is  going  to  the  Derby  in  the  good  old  days,  in  company  with 
a  more  disorderly  throng  than  ever  filled  the  way  to  Epsom. 
A  very  Babel,  too,  is  this  place,  so  great  is  the  confusion  of 
tongues,  and  so  intent  is  everybody  upon  making  as  much  noise 
as  possible.  Our  onward  progress  is  more  due  to  the  fright  of 
the  draught  animals  than  to  any  skill  on  the  part  of  their 
drivers,  as  many  a  broken  panel  and  splintered  pole  abundantly 
testify.  As  we  go  along  we  see  long  lines  of  elephants  drawn 
up  on  either  side.  One  is  for  the  Prince ;  its  head  is  covered 
with  a  mantle  of  gold  made  wholly  of  gold  mohurs,  worth 
at  least  thirty  shillings  a  piece,  and  not  so  large  on  the  face  as 
an  English  sovereign — you  may  guess  the  value.  Its  howdah 
is  of  scarlet  cloth,  richly  embroidered  with  gold ;  the  Imperial 
crown  is  on  one  side  of  its  trappings,  the  three  feathers  are  on 
the  opposite  one.  Other  elephants  have  less  splendid  equip- 
ment, yet  all  are  equally  decorated,  and  seem  to  know  it.  A 
mile  further  on  we  find  the  Prince's  horses  waiting  to  take  him 
on  to  the  review  ground ;  about  a  mile  further  still  is  the  flag- 
staff itself. 


A  BE VIE  W  OF  DELHI.  243 

Once  in  position  we  have  time  to  survey  the  field.  A  wide- 
stretching  plain  surrounded  by  trees  is  that  upon  which  you 
stand.  In  front  of  you  are  the]  troops  drawn  up,  the  infantry 
in  columns  of  battalions,  in  their  rear  the  cavalry,  artillery,  and 
siege  train.  At  the  distance  which  separates  you  from  them, 
you  might  imagine  yourself  standing  beside  a  huge  table  on 
which  a  kind  of  Kriegspiel  is  presently  to  be  played,  so  level  is 
the  ground,  so  compact  and  toylike  look  the  columns.  Every 
kind  of  uniform  is  there — English,  Affghan,  Bengalee,  and 
Sikh.  There  is  unfortunately  no  control  or  transport  service 
present ;  a  hundred  camels  or  so  are  close  behind  you,  but  they 
are  not  in  review  order,  and  will  not  be  officially  inspected. 

In  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  flagstaff  an  open 
space  has  been  reserved  for  the  Prince ;  on  each  side  of  this 
rows  of  carriages  are  drawn  up,  and  then,  extending  in  a  long 
line,  leaning  over  ropes  as  though  they  were  expecting  races 
rather  than  a  review,  are  tens  of  thousands  of  natives.  Had 
you  time,  this  crowd  is  worthy  of  minute  inspection.  You 
would  see  men  passing  huge  pipes  one  to  the  other,  taking  a 
prolonged  draw  and  then  handing  them  on;  and  scores  who  have 
brought  out  with  them  not  dogs,  but  little  birds,  partridges, 
hawks,  or,  more  proudly  still,  the  jay,  perched  upon  their  arms. 
For  the  last,  be  it  known,  is  the  bird  in  whom  Vishnu  especi- 
ally delights ;  it  is  his  steed,  carries  the  god,  and  is  venerated 
accordingly.  A  curious  fancy  is  this  of  the  Hindoos  for 
feathered  pets ;  they  stroke  them,  tend  them,  kiss  them,  talk 
to  them,  just  as  the  Arab  does  to  his  horse,  or  you  at  home  do 
to  your  pet  dogs. 

While  you  are  looking  at  them,  however,  the  noise  of  horses' 
feet  behind  you  draws  attention  to  the  fact  that  Lord  Napier 
and  his  staff  are  coming  by,  and  the  good  old  General,  attended 
by  Colonel  Martin  Dillon,  his  private  secretary,  dashes  to  the 
front  at  once.  He  has  hardly  taken  his  place  before  the  Prince 
rides  on  to  the  ground,  advances  to  the  General,  shakes  hands 


244  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

with  him,  exchanges  a  word  with  Colonel  Dillon,  and  then 
proceeds  to  inspect  the  troops.  To  us,  who  have  to  wait  behind, 
this  would  in  any  other  place  be  a  tedious  business.  But  on 
such  ground  as  this  what  half-hour  could  be  badly  spent'?  The 
Prince  is  actually  on  the  very  soil  where  the  first  battle  of  the 
mutiny,  excepting  a  slight  skirmish  at  Meerut,  was  fought. 
You  can  just  see  the  walls  of  Padlce  Ke  Serai,  where  the  fear- 
ful struggle  took  place.  An  officer  who  stands  by  tells  you 
how  on  that  day  two  thousand  English  troops  routed  hosts  of 
the  enemy,  captured  twenty-six  well-served  guns,  and  drove 
the  discomfited  wretches  headlong  into  the  city — how,  at  one 
period  of  that  action,  he  became  so  confused  by  the  uniforms 
which  the  rebels  wore — spick  and  span  direct  from  the  arsenal — 
that  he  gave  orders  to  his  men  to  cease  firing,  so  nearly  did 
the  enemy  resemble  English  troops.  And  another  recounts 
hair-breadth  escapes,  relates  to  you  how  the  deep  seam  across 
his  face  was  made  by  one  of  a  great  party  of  Sepoys  who  cut 
him  off  from  his  men,  and  almost  from  the  face  of  the  land  alto- 
gether ;  while  a  third,  a  Victoria  Cross  man,  modestly  describes 
the  fighting  which  took  place  where  he  stood.  They  occupied 
the  ridge  which  faces  you  before  noon  on  that  fearful  day,  and 
began  the  investment  of  Delhi  which  resulted  in  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  mutiny. 

At  length  the  bands  have  ceased  to  play  the  National  An- 
them in  different  keys,  the  Prince  is  returning  to  the  flagstaff, 
and  the  musicians  themselves  are  massing  for  the  purpose  of 
playing  as  the  troops  go  by.  Then  you  hear  "  Bonnie  Dun- 
dee," and  know  that,  if  not  the  Campbells,  at  least  the  artillery 
are  coming.  With  superb  dressing  the  famous  chestnut  Troop 
A  of  the  A  Brigade  sweeps  past,  the  guns  in  exactest  line,  the 
men  and  equipment  perfection  itself,  and  the  2nd  Battery,  with 
Armstrong  guns,  is  quite  its  equal.  The  3rd  Battery  has  some 
white  horses  in  the  centre  of  its  line,  and  these  somewhat  spoil 
the  effect;  but  the   4th    Battery,  under  Major  Pitzgerald,  is 


A  BEVIBW  OF  DELHI.  245 

simply  superb.  This  completes  the  Horse  Artillery,  of  whom 
it  may  be  said  that  a  finer  brigade  was  never  seen.  The  field 
batteries  follow,  headed  by  Colonel  Corder,  six  of  them  all  ad- 
mirably turned  out,  and  presenting  a  magnificent  appearance — 
in  all  sixty  guns,  well  horsed,  well  manned,  perfectly  discip- 
lined, and  fit  for  anything.  It  would  be  invidious  to  pick  any 
out  from  amongst  the  others — they  are  all  so  good. 

And  now  came  a  sight  which  could  not  be  witnessed  in 
England.  A  company  of  Bengal  Infantry,  in  blue  uniforms  and 
red  turbans,  marched  two  deep,  with  their  curved  swords  on 
their  shoulders,  followed  by  a  number  of  mules  bearing  all  kinds 
of  curious  and  useful  implements.  There  were  six  little  moun- 
tain guns,  with  the  use  of  which  King  Theodore  became  so  well 
acquainted;  there  were  engineering  implements  of  all  kinds, 
and  generally  all  that  is  useful  to  the  soldier  in  mountain  war- 
fare— in  all  thirty-six  mules  well  equipped,  after  which  came 
another  company  of  men  armed  like  the  first.  Then  the  huge 
forms  of  some  particularly  large  elephants  were  seen  approach- 
ing with  people  on  their  backs,  carrying  little  steel  picks  in 
their  hands.  Wondering  what  use  these  particular  animals 
were  put  to,  we  eagerly  leant  forward,  and,  in  doing  so,  saw 
that  three  40-pounder  Armstrong  guns,  each  drawn  by  two 
elephants,  were  being  brought  along  as  easily  as  though  they 
were  "unconsidered  trifles  light  as  air"  in  reality.  On  they 
came  at  a  slow,  measured  pace,  apparently  quite  oblivious  of  the 
fact  that  they  were  drawing  a  siege  train  which  it  would  have 
taken  twenty-four  or  thirty  horses  to  have  moved,  and  quite 
double  that  number  to  take  for  any  distance  over  Indian  roads 
and  rough  ground.  Traction  engines  indeed  1  What  need  of 
engines  at  all  in  a  country  which  boasts  such  natural  means  of 
locomotion,  save  when  rapidity  of  transit  is  required?  The 
elephants  go  by,  a  bullock  train  along  with  them,  dragging 
three  large  howitzers  and  tumbrils  for  ammunition,  and  then  we 
prepare  for  the  cavalry,  who  are  now  coming  on. 


246  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

But  what  tune  is  that  1  It  was  "  Bonnie  Dundee"  just  now, 
reminding  us  sadly  of  that  terrible  hour  we  spent  in  the  native 
entertainment  at  Madras,  where  four  uncomfortable  scarecrows 
sang  it  with  a  conch-shell  and  tom-tom  accompaniment.  There 
is  some  confusion,  for  the  Scotch  melody  is  not  yet  finished  by 
some  of  the  bands,  and  some  of  the  players  are  not  yet  certain 
that  "  it's  up  wi'  the  bonnets  o'  bonnie  Dundee."  At  length, 
however,  the  struggle  ceases,  and  the  tune,  "  Among  our  ancient 
mountains,5'  rises  above  everything.  The  10th  Hussars  are 
coming  by,  and  the  Prince's  air  salutes  them.  I- need  not  say 
how  the  old  rivals  of  the  1 2th  Lancers  looked ;  three  such 
squadrons  as  theirs  are  scarcely  to  be  seen  anywhere,  certainly 
nowhere  but  in  the  English  Army.  Yet  they  are  worthily 
followed,  for,  to  the  "  March  of  the  Men  of  Harlech,"  the  4th 
Bengal  Cavalry  come  by,  their  serviceable  blue  uniforms  and 
turbans  suiting  them  well.  Lord  Mark  Kerr  says  ha  could  lead 
such  men  against  any  troops  in  the  world,  and  he  is  no  mean 
judge.  They  are  a  Hussar  regiment;  those  who  come  next  are 
the  10th  Bengal  Lancers,  coloured  Uhlans,  with  red  and  black 
pennons,  revolvers  at  their  waist,  and  medals  on  the  breast  of 
nearly  every  one.  They  go  past  magnificently,  quite  equal  to  the 
11th  Hussars  who  follow,  gay  in  their  cherry-coloured  breeches 
and  high  boots,  and  especially  noticeable  for  the  white  squadron 
which  comes  second,  which  would  be  perfection  were  it  not  that 
they  have  a  roan  and  two  duns  to  make  up  the  number.  The 
5th  Bengal  Hussars,  whose  officers  have  breast-plates  of  gold 
lace,  march  next.  A  buff  regiment  of  exceptionally  tall  men 
follow;  they  are  the  Central  India  Horse.  Somebody  whispers 
that  their  commander  has  picked  the  best  squadrons  out  of  the 
two  regiments  he  has,  but  perhaps  they  are  only  envious  of 
their  admirable  appearance.  We  notice  that  the  front  rank 
of  each  squadron  are  lancers,  while  the  rear  rank  are  armed  as 
hussars,  with  sword  snd  carbine. 

We  have  heard  of  mounted  infantry  before,  but  what  say 


A  REVIEW  OF  DELHI.  247 

European  soldiers  to  a  cavalry  regiment  composed  half  of 
lancers  and  half  of  hussars'?  The  helmets  of  thj3  officers  are 
of  purple  velvet  and  gold,  the  most  superb  head-dress  I 
have  ever  seen.  As  to  the  13fch  Hussars,  who  follow  them,  and 
whose  officers,  like  their  brethren  of  the  10th,  have  leopard 
skins  on  their  saddles,  but  little  can  be  said  in  praise ;  they  are 
scarcely  so  good  as  the  6th  Bengal  Cavalry,  who  have  made  all 
their  troop  pivot  men  lancers,  the  rest  being  hussars.  The  15th 
Mooltanees,  in  dark  green  dresses  and  red  puggarees,  a  wild  set 
of  horsemen,  go  by  in  excellent  order  just  afterwards,  followed 
by  the  15th  Hussars,  who  are  in  good  condition;  and  the  rear 
is  brought  up  by  the  1 1th  Bengal  Lancers,  in  dark  blue  uniforms, 
the  same  regiment  which  Probyn  once  commanded,  the  name 
of  which  spread  far  and  wide  to  the  terror  of  the  rebels.  "With- 
out loss  of  time  the  infantry  go  by — English  and  native  vieing 
with  each  other  to  do  their  best.  Needless  is  it  to  specify  each 
as  they  pass — all  are  good.  Perhaps  the  73rd  of  the  line  are 
the  best,  with  the  15th  Sikhs,  tall,  strong  men  in  scarlet  coats 
and  yellow  striped  turbans,  as  formidable  rivals.  To  the  eyes 
of  such  of  us  as  are  used  to  military  spectacles  in  England,  the 
appearance  of  the  Rifle  Brigade,  as  it  comes  on  in  black  hel- 
mets with  black  puggarees,  looks  strange,  and,  in  good  truth, 
they  are  almost  outdone  in  their  march  past  by  two  battalions 
of  Ghoorkas,  who  are  dressed  in  dark  green  with  black  forage 
caps,  and  step  out  as  well  as  any  troops  in  the  service.  They 
are  not  very  big  men ;  they  are  little  fellows,  of  a  Chinese  type 
almost,  very  like  the  savages  from  Assam  whom  we  saw  a  week 
or  two  ago  at  Sir  Richard  Temple's  garden  party.  Yet  that 
they  are  valiant  in  the  fight  we  well  know,  for  they  were 
Ghoorkas  with  whom  Sir  Charles  Beid  held  the  ridge  opposite 
Delhi  for  five  long  months  in  face  of  all  the  efforts  of  the  rebels. 
Then,  too,  there  is  the  33rd  Native  Infantry,  recruited  almost 
entirely  from  herdsmen,  and  led  by  Colonel  James  Harris,  of 
Chinese  fame,  who  are  as  well  drilled  and  set  up  as  any  regi- 


248  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

ment  could  well  be,  and  an  admirable  proof  of  what  can  -be 
effected  by  an  intelligent  commander  who  has  skill  and  patience. 
Other  regiments  there  are  which  deserve  praise  of  the  highest 
kind,  but  to  recapitulate  their  names  would  be  to  write  a  long 
catalogue  for  which  you  would  not  care.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
the  army  corps  thus  placed  in  the  field  reflects  the  highest  pos- 
sible credit  upon  Lord  Napier  and  his  excellent  secretary, 
Colonel  Martin  Dillon.  The  hero  of  Magdala  and  his  alter  ego 
may  well  be  proud  of  the  force  which  the  Prince  reviewed. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE   BATTLE   ON   THE   RIDGE. 

Were  the  fate  of  the  Empire  dependent — which  happily  it  is 
not — upon  the  battle  which  took  place  just  outside  Delhi  on 
the  Friday  and  Saturday  during  the  Prince's  visit,  it  would 
doubtless  be  matter  of  greatest  interest  to  know  exactly  how 
the  contending  forces  were  disposed,  with  a  thousand  other 
technical  details  dear  to  a  soldier's  heart.  But  as,  after  all,  the 
fighting  was  unreal — very  unreal  indeed — and  ended  only  in 
fiasco  and  smoke,  I  do  not  propose  to  trouble  you  with  more  of 
such  particulars  than  are  absolutely  necessary,  but  to  take  you 
at  once  to  the  field  in  the  capacity  of  a  spectator  who  is  quite 
indisposed  to  be  critical,  but  anxious  to  see  of  what  stuff  are 
our  troops  in  India,  and  of  what  capacity  their  commanders. 
To  reach  the  scene  of  the  struggle  it  is  necessary  that  you 
should  pass  out  by  the  Cashmere  Gate,  close  by  the  famous 
breach,  and  so  over  the  rocky  ridge  which,  in  1857,  was  the 
vantage-ground  from  which  English  soldiers  peppered  their 
rebellious  adversaries.  This  latter  place  would,  in  case  of 
actual  fighting,  be  a  very  difficult  part  to  assail ;  in  fact,  it 
could  be  rendered  impregnable  by  a  force  sufficient  to  hold  it. 
Such  being  the  case,  it  was  not  given  to  Sir  Charles  Reid,  who 
commanded  the  army  of  defence,  but  was  reckoned  only  as  an 
ulterior  line  in  case  the  troops  whose  object  it  was  to  prevent 
Delhi  from  assault  should  have  to  fall  back  in  disorder.  It  is 
for  this  reason  that  we  find  the  defenders  a  couple  of  miles  in 
front  of  the  ridge,  occupying  a  straight  line  of  ground,  the  left 
of  which  is  on  a  canal,  the  centre  on  a  village  called  Wazeerpore, 
situated  in  a  wood  just  as  was  the  German  centre  during  the 
manoeuvres  of  1874  at  Hildesdorf,  and  the  right  on  another 

16 


250  WITH  THE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

hamlet  named  Daheerpore.  All  round  these  points  is  a  wide 
stretching  plain,  without  cover  for  troops  of  any  kind,  and  it  is 
over  this  that  General  Hardinge  has  to  advance  to  the  attack. 
Beid's  force  is  behind  entrenchments  in  the  line  I  have  men- 
tioned ;  Hardinge's  army  in  front  of  it,  but  some  miles  distant. 
It  being  now  nearly  eleven  o'clock,  we  are  able  to  take  a  view 
of  our  position.  Away  on  the  extreme  right  are  the  heavy 
Armstrong  guns  drawn  by  elephants,  the  mortar  battery  drawn 
by  bullocks,  a  battery  of  horse  artillery,  and  our  cavalry,  con- 
sisting of  the  10th  and  11th  Hussars,  the  4th  and  5th  Bengal 
Cavalry,  the  2nd  Punjab  Cavalry,  and  the  Central  India  Horse, 
all  hidden  away  in  a  little  wood.  The  2nd  Infantry  Brigade, 
consisting  of  two  battalions  of  Ghoorkas  and  the  Bines,  are  in 
the  centre ;  and  on  the  extreme  left,  under  Brigadier-General 
Brown,  is  the  1st  Brigade,  comprised  of  the  73rd  Foot  (English) 
and  the  33rd  and  11th  Native  Infantry.  Two  brigades  of 
infantry  are  somewhere  close  to  Dalieerpore.  They  hold  their 
ground  well,  do  nothing  very  noteworthy,  and  in  the  end  are 
held  to  have  defeated  the  attempts  of  their  opponents. 

We  who  are  just  now  on  the  Extreme  left  have  something 
very  pretty  and  interesting  to.  look  at,  for  the  commander  there 
— Colonel  Harris,  of  the  33rd  Native  Infantry  — a  soldier  of 
great  experience,  one  of  those  who  fought  on  the  ridges  in  1857 
and  was  desperately  wounded.  He  has  seen  plenty  of  service 
in  China  and  elsewhere,  and  earned  many  an  honourable  dis- 
tinction, but  while  the  army  is  in  the  hands  of  Society,  he 
stands  less  chance  of  promotion  than  if  he  had  done  nothiwg 
more  than  rely  on  influential  friends.  Our  left  is,  as  I  have 
said,  the  canal,  and  the  two  battalions  of  native  infantry,  half 
a  battery  of  artillery,  three  companies  of  sappers,  and  a  troop  of 
native  cavalry,  arc  holding  a  long  shelter-trench,  which  reaches 
from  the  water's  edge  to  the  wood  of  Wazeerpore.  In  that  the 
73rd  Infantry,  with  half  a  battery  of  guns,  are  posted.  The 
canal  has  a  banked  pathway  on  either  side,  and  on  this,  the 


THE  BATTLE  ON  THE  RIDGE.  251 

left  side  of  the  water,  Colonel  Harris  lias  constructed  an  en- 
trenchment capable  of  concealing  the  three  guns  he  has  with 
him ;  almost  strong  enough  to  resist  the  fire  of  artillery.  Down 
in  this  temporary  bastion  are  posted  the  trio  of  cannons,  their 
muzzles  peeping  through  tiny  portholes  just  big  enough  to  admit 
of  their  discharge  and  nothing  more.  In  the  low  ground  under 
the  pathway  the  cavalry  are  hidden  out  of  sight.  The  infantry 
men  of  the  33rd  N.I.  and  the  11th  crouch  down  in  the  shelter- 
trench,  and  two  or  three  companies  with  some  mortars  that 
have  been  posted  along  the  canal  up  to  the  point  which  has 
been  fixed  as  the  extremity  of  ground  to  be  manoeuvred  over, 
are  all  in  their  places.  Not  a  head  is  to  be  seen,  not  a  sound  is 
heard — all  we  want  is  an  enemy.  The  brigade  opposed  to  us, 
as  our  scouts  tell  us,  is  that  commanded  by  Colonel  Basden,  a 
gentleman  who  has  not  apparently  instilled  much  terror  into 
the  hearts  of  our  men.  They  do  not  believe  he  can  take  the 
position,  and  they  shake  their  black  heads  and  show  their  white 
teeth  as  they  look  over  the  top  of  their  shelter,  and  laugh  at 
the  English  who  are  coming  against  them.  For  remember  that 
to  take  this  line  of  Sepoys  Colonel  Basden  has  a  battery  of 
artillery,  three  troops  of  horse,  two  battalions  of  English  troops, 
the  1st  of  the  8th  Foot  and  the  85th  Foot,  with  the  32nd 
Native  Infantry,  to  watch  the  73rd,  who  are  at  Wazeerpore. 
Just  while  we  are  looking  out  the  cavalry  does  make  its  appear- 
ance on  the  other  side  of  the  canal,  but  rushes  away  directly 
fifty  shots  are  discharged,  so  that  for  another  half-hour  we  are 
quiet,  and  can  only  hear  a  distant  banging  of  guns.  At  length 
there  is  a  movement  in  our  front;  it  is  certain  the  enemy  is 
coming,  for  two  miles  distant  we  can  descry  by  the  aid  of  a  glass 
the  white  faces,  white  helmets,  scarlet  coats,  and  bright  bayonets 
of  the  English  battalions,  as  they  advance,  in  close  skirmishing 
order,  only  one  pace  apart,  upon  the  trench.  Of  course  we  expect 
to  see  their  approach  heralded  by  artillery  fire ;  very  naturally,  we 
look  round  for  the  cavalry  which  but  lately  disappeared,  but 


252  WITH   THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

there  are  none  of  them  present ;  so  our  men,  without  more  ado, 
wait  till  the  enemy  is  within  range,  and  then  open  a  rattling  fire 
upon  them  such  as  no  English  or  German  troops  could  excel. 
Suddenly  up  rides  an  umpire  out  from  the  attacking  force,  one 
Colonel  Chippendale,  and  in  a  confused  manner  gives  us  the 
order  to  retire.  Of  course  our  commander  remonstrates,  but 
this  military  Daniel  come  to  judgment  refuses  to  hear  a  word, 
and  back  we  have  to  go,  till  Colonel  Harris  points  out  firmly 
that  his  force  behind  shelter  is  much  superior  to  that  of  the 
enemy  in  the  open,  whereupon  Colonel  Chippendale  is  obliged 
to  yield,  and  gallops  away  rather  faster  than  he  came,  to  tell 
our  opponents  that  they  must  go  back.  In  actual  warfare  they 
would  never  have  done  so ;  a  few  might  perchance  have  escaped 
our  rifles,  artillery,  and  cavalry,  but  Colonel  Basden  and  all  his 
merry  men  who  were  not  shot  would  have  been  taken  prisoners 
to  a  certainty.  It  was  altogether  the  most  ridiculous  exhibition 
I  have  ever  seen.  Two  battalions  of  infantry  marched  two 
miles  in  the  open  to  attack  more  than  their  own  numbers 
snugly  entrenched  and  supported  by  cavalry  and  artillery,  with 
guns  posted  in  Wazeerpore  Wood  raking  the  flank  of  the 
advancing  force  every  moment. 

But,  grotesque  as  this  spectacle  is  from  a  military  point  of 
view,  something  much  more  funny  is  about  to  follow.  "We  are 
all  in  our  trenches.  A  company  and  a  half  of  the  Englishmen, 
who  came  across  the  plain  just  now  are  ordered  out  of  action, 
and  we  are  wondering  what  will  be  the  next  move  of  the 
strategic  Basden,  when  Captain  Dyke,  who,  we  know,  commands 
the  artillery  of  that  gentleman's  brigade,  comes  pleasantly  along 
the  path  on  our  side  of  the  canal,  his  charger  caracoling  as 
though  it  were  heading  a  procession.  There  is  no  hesitation, 
no  distrust;  he  gently  ambles  up  to  our  trenches,  and,  pull- 
ing up,  says,  "  Can  you  tell  me  where  Basden's  brigade  is  V 
"  Of  course  I  can,"  is  Colonel  Harris'  reply,  as  he  lays  hold  of 
Captain  Dyke's  bridle-reins ;  "  only,  as  you  are  my  prisoner,  the 


THE  BATTLE  ON  THE   RIDGE.  253 

news  won't  be  worth  much  to  you,"  saying  which  he  led  the 
astonished  Dyke  gently  into  our  enclosure,  took  his  parole, 
and  sent  him  to  the  rear.  Now,  where  one  sheep  goes  the  rest 
are  sure  to  follow,  and  we  had  not  to  wait  long  for  Captain 
Dyke's  battery.  A  quick-eyed  Sepoy  descried  it,  Colonel  Harris 
prepared  for  it,  and  a  gun  was  trained  on  to  the  pathway,  as 
it  came  on.  Why  should  it  fear  1  Was  not  its  commander  in 
front,  and  had  there  been  any  alarm  1  So  it  trotted  forward, 
with  the  canal  on  one  side  and  a  precipice  of  twelve  feet  on 
the  other,  until  it  got  another  four  hundred  yards,  when  our  gun 
was  discharged  point  blank  at  it.  Had  this  been  a  real  fight, 
yonder  battery  would  have  been  overthrown  at  once,  for  seven 
hundred  rifles  are  pointed  at  it,  three  guns  cover  it,  and  the 
Punjab  Cavalry  are  all  ready  to  rush  upon  its  flank.  Again 
the  men,  like  their  leader,  are  not  distrustful.  They  imagine 
that  a  mistake  has  been  made.  They  are  determined  to  con- 
sider us  as  friends,  and  so  they  come  on  still  further.  We  are 
determined  to  claim  them  as  prisoners.  Colonel  Harris  orders  a 
company  of  the  33rd  to  spring  from  their  trenches  and  run  along 
the  bank,  and  then  calls  to  the  gunners  to  surrender.  There 
is  no  option — the  native  riflemen  have  every  one  of  them  at 
their  mercy.  They  must  submit — the  choice  is  not  pleasant, 
but  what  can  they  do  in  presence  of  five  times  their  number  1 
They  accordingly  give  in ;  are  conducted  down  the  bank  under 
the  escort  of  half  a  company  of  sappers  and  half  a  company  of 
infantry ;  hand  up  their  linch-pins  and  washers,  their  ammuni- 
tion and  arms ;  and  are  then  led  to  the  rear,  guns  and  all, 
guarded  by  native  troops.  What  use  are  the  boasted  English 
artillery  if  they  can  walk  into  such  a  trap  1  And  now  we  hide 
away  once  more  in  hopes  of  other  wanderers.  Nor  are  we  dis- 
appointed. Five  minutes  elapse,  a  rumble  of  wheels  is  heard ; 
we  look  up  very  cautiously,  and  see  the  spare  ammunition 
wagons  of  the  battery,  their  hospital  doolies,  and  their  provision 
carts,  all   coming  along.     No  gun  is  fired  this  time,  for  the 


254  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

Quartermaster-General  of  the  enemy's  camp  can  be  seen  in  his 
cherry-coloured  trousers  riding  at  the  head  of  the  train — 
Captain  Carnac,  of  the  11th  Hussars.  A  troop  of  cavalry  is  got 
in  readiness,  a  company  of  infantry  fixes  bayonets,  and  as  soon 

as  Captain  Carnac  shouts  out,  "  Have  you  seen P  they  are 

upon  him.  A  bold  man  is  this  Quartermaster-General,  used 
to  fight  and  to  danger,  and  without  ado  he  makes  a  struggle 
for  liberty.  Down  the  bank,  so  steep  that  in  descending  it 
just  now  a  gun  was  nearly  upset,  he  dashes,  cutting  through 
the  Sepoys,  albeit  that  one  discharges  a  rifle  close  to  his  ear, 
and  for  an  instant  it  seems  that  he  will  get  clear.  But  the 
cavalry  close  up  round  him,  twenty  Sepoys  spring  upon  his 
bridle,  and  he  is  powerless  at  last,  to  be  at  once  led  in,  sent 
to  the  rear,  and  offered  some  luncheon.  So,  too,  are  the 
drivers  of  the  wagons  with  their  charge  all  placed  under  guard  of 
native  soldiers.  You  need  not  look  round  to  see  how  the 
Sepoys  enjoy  all  this.  The  low  chuckle  which  indicates  satis- 
faction is  heard  on  every  side.  What  can  be  thought  of  white 
sahibs  who  run  into  such  a  snare  ?  On  the  left,  too  are  now 
perceived  the  enemy's  cavalry,  the  three  troops  we  saw  before, 
just  the  other  side  of  the  canal,  and  almost  within  easy  rifle 
range.  A  very  few  moments  and  they  will  be  our  own.  The 
artillery  is  being  trained  on  them,  the  infantry  is  being  got 
ready,  and  the  cavalry  are  in  saddle,  when  an  excited  jemadar 
gives  his  men  the  order  to  fire  ;  a  musket  or  two  is  discharged, 
and  the  horsemen,  taking  the  hint,  wheel  round,  and  rush  away 
without  ever  finding  the  artillery  of  which  they  are  in  search. 
We  should  have  liked  to  introduce  them  to  each  other  in  rear 
of  our  entrenchment,  but  that  unfortunate  jemadar  has  pre- 
vented a  meeting. 

While  all  this  has  been  going  on,  the  cavalry  near  Daheerpore 
have  been  preparing  for  a  fight,  and  by  this  time  are  advancing 
in  full  force,  excepting  only  the  few  squadrons  which  have  been 
detailed  for  other  duty,  upon  each  other.     Ten  minutes'  ride 


THE  BATTLE  ON  TEE  RIDGE.  255 

brings  us  to  the  village,  from  whence  we  are  able  to  watch  all 
that  passes.  On  our  right  are  the  11th  Hussars,  supported  by 
the  10th.  In  front  of  the  houses  are  three  squadrons  of  the 
5th  Bengal  Cavalry  and  three  of  the  Central  India  Horse.  All 
are  in  line,  except  one  squadron  of  the  latter,  which  is  about  a 
hundred  yards  in  rear.  The  reserve  is  formed  by  the  2nd  Pun- 
jab Cavalry  and  the  4th  Bengal,  and  these  are  placed  on  the 
left  of  a  village.  Now,  were  these  in  the  hands  of  an  experi- 
enced cavalry  general  going  into  action,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
as  to  how  they  should  be  used.  Captain  Chevenix  Trench's 
admirable  translation  of  the  new  German  cavalry  regulations 
and  our  own  new  orders,  which,  if  I  mistake  not,  were  issued 
somewhere  about  last  June,  would  dictate  all  that  is  required. 
You  remember  that  we  are  in  an  open  plain ;  that  we  are  sup- 
ported by  the  elephant  train  of  40-pounder  Armstrongs ;  that 
we  have  a  mortar  battery  to  aid  us,  and  a  battery  of  horse 
artillery  in  rear.  The  enemy's  cavalry  are  well  in  sight  \  already 
the  huge  guns  drawn  by  the  elephants  have  opened  upon  them, 
so  effectually  that  the  15th  Hussars  are  ordered  on  to  fight,  and 
any  German  cavalry  officer  would  tell  you  in  a  moment  how  to 
overwhelm  and  destroy  a  whole  force  opposed  to  you.  But, 
fortunately  for  the  unmilitary  spectator,  the  Prince  has  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  see  a  charge,  and  although  under  actual 
circumstances  this  would  not  take  place,  and  the  enemy  would 
be  in  full  flight  long  before  the  horsemen  had  time  to  manoeuvre 
upon  their  flank,  the  request  must  be  listened  to,  and  a  piece 
of  unsoldierly  performance  gone  through.  So  we  allow  the 
squadron  of  the  15th  Bengal  Cavalry  to  approach  our  left  flank, 
accompanied  by  two  guns,  the  13th  Hussars  to  advance  against 
our  11th,  and  the  6th  Bengal  Cavalry,  with  two  squadrons  of 
the  15th,  to  come  towards  our  centre.  Then  the  fun  begins. 
You  are  perfectly  well  aware  that  nothing  of  the  kind  could  pos- 
sibly happen  in  war,  and  you  are  therefore  not  very  much  alarm- 
ed when  you  seethe  13th  and  11th  Hussars  rush  full  tilt  at  each 


256  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

other.  On  they  go  at  a  terrible  charge,  the  1 3th  going  through 
a  little  stream  which  runs  by  Daheepore  at  headlong  speed. 
There  is  every  prospect  of  a  collision  ;  when  suddenly  the  charge 
is  stopped,  the  men  being  at  a  distance  of  ten  yards  only  from 
each  other,  and  victory  is  declared  in  favour  of  the  13th.  They 
cannot,  however,  advance,  for  the  10th  is  in  front  of  them,  so 
they  scramble  off  the  ground  without  more  ado.  By  this  time 
the  Central  India  Horse  and  the  5th  Bengal  Infantry  are  form- 
ing up  and  preparing  to  charge  the  enemy,  which  consists,  as  I 
have  already  stated,  of  native  horsemen.  On  they  go,  too,  at  a 
headlong  speed,  their  turbaned  heads  lowered,  their  lances  and 
swords  ready,  and  a  fight  takes  place  which  ends  in  the  defeat 
of  the  enemy  and  the  ordering  out  of  action  of  a  squadron  or 
two  of  them.  The  extended  line  on  our  side  is  admitted  to 
have  won,  and  notwithstanding  that  the  attacking  force  has  dis- 
mounted some  of  its  men  for  the  purpose  of  using  them  as 
skirmishers,  we  are  admitted  to  have  outflanked  and  beaten 
them.  Then,  while  everybody  is  wondering  what  will  be  the 
next  ridiculous  spectacle,  the  sound  to  cease  firing  is  heard,  and 
the  battle  all  along  the  line  is  ended.  Infantry  regiments  hear 
the  word  of  command,  and  go  home,  officers  jump  into  the  sad- 
dles and  ride  away,  while  we  join  a  pleasant  tiffin  party  and 
lunch  on  the  ground  which  but  a  few  minutes  before,  was  so 
hotly  contested. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


FEATS    OF   SKILL   AND   STRENGTH. 


Yet  if  the  battle  at  Delhi  was  somewhat  theatrically  man- 
aged, there  was  a  contest  of  a  different  nature  on  the  following 
Monday  which  was  very  real  indeed.  It  had  been  announced 
that  after  a  cavalry  parade  in  the  morning  the  Prince  would  be 
present  at  some  sports  in  the  camp  of  the  15th  Hussars,  at 
which  both  English  and  native  soldiers  from  the  whole  army 
would  appear  as  competitors.  As  on  the  day  of  the  review, 
therefore,  all  fashionable  Delhi  turned  out;  some  on  horses, 
elephants,  and  camels,  others  in  vehicles,  with  multitudes  on 
foot.  For  just  then  the  native  of  Delhi  was  quite  ready  to  don 
his  most  startling  dress  at  a  moment's  notice,  and  would,  I  be- 
lieve, have  slept  in  it  if  that  arrangement  would  have  ensured 
his  gazing  at  every  sight  engendered  of  the  Royal  visit.  This 
being  the  case,  he  systematically  appeared  everywhere  with 
his  children  and  his  birds,  leaving  only  his  wife  at  home.  She 
never  came  out.  Unlike  the  dame  of  Madras  or  Bombay,  she 
might  be  curious,  but  she  must  not  be  visible;  she  might 
see,  but  must  not  be  seen.  No  rows  of  handsomely-attired 
ladies  with  olive  complexions  and  long  oval  eyes  welcomed 
the  entry  of  the  Prince  to  the  old  capital  of  India;  no 
bullock-gharries  full  of  native  damsels,  rolled  and  jolted  on 
the  camp-ground  to  look  at  the  sports.  Had  the  revelry 
been  held  in  front  of  the  houses  in  the  Chadni  Chauk,  inquisi- 
tive faces  might  have  been  pressed  against  the  gratings 
which  act  as  windows  in  the  native  houses.  But,  there  being 
no  houses  near  from  which  they  could  look,  the  Hindoo  and 
Mahommedan  ladies  were  shut  out  from  witnessing  the  sports ; 


258  WITH  TEE   VRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

while  their  lords  put  on  the  best  puggaree  and  quilted  coat,  anil 
sallied  forth  for  the  day.  However,  it  was  not  for  them  that 
the  fete  took  place,  but  for  the  English  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
who  came  up  in  hundreds,  and  began  a  grand  pic-nic  an  hour 
before  the  time  announced  for  the  sports.  It  was  a  bright  day. 
The  space  was  pleasantly  shut  in  by  trees;  all  round,  under  the 
shade,  well-appointed  equipages  might  be  seen.  There  were 
luncheon-baskets  of  all  shapes  and  sizes ;  the  sound  of  the 
champagne-cork  was  heard  in  the  land,  and  brilliantly  dressed 
ladies  might  be  seen  everywhere.  Those  huge  elephants  with 
gold  and  scarlet  howdahs,  those  camels  with  trappings  of  bright 
colours,  those  black  servants,  that  singular  crowd  of  dusky 
faces,  and  those  broad-shouldered  Sikhs  with  gold-striped  tur- 
bans, belonged  to  no  English  city.  Where  the  Prince  was  to 
sit  long  lines  of  native  infantry  were  drawn  up  to  keep  the 
ground,  and  there  the  native  horsemen,  preparing  for  the  con- 
test, were  also  in  full  view.  I  remember  how  varied  were  the 
feelings  with  which  I  waited  by  the  arena  at  Baroda  to  see  the 
fights  between  wild  beasts.  There  was  all  the  curiosity 
which  belonged  to  ignorance.  One  wondered  what  a  rhinoceros 
contest  would  be  like — after  what  fashion  elephants  would 
struggle ;  but  withal  there  was  a  strong  sense  of  the  brutal 
which  would  crop  up  every  moment  and  spoil  all  interest  in  the 
sport.  But  here  was  a  sight  which  could  be  regarded  with  un- 
mixed satisfaction  ;  the  swordsmen  of  India  were  to  be  pitted 
against  the  Hussars  of  England,  the  Lances  of  the  Punjab 
against  the  best  horsemen  from  home.  Then  too,  there  were  to 
be  races  afoot,  high  jumps  and  low  jumps,  tournaments  with 
blunted  spears,  and  many  another  diversion.  Oddly  enough,  a 
band  of  European  strollers,  their  faces  bedaubed  with  lamp- 
black, their  heads  covered  with  woolly  wigs,  in  their  hands  the 
familiar  banjo,  concertina,  and  bones,  and  on  the  backs  of  their 
necks  the  old,  old  hate,  which  we  used  to  look  at  with  amaze- 
ment when  very  young  indeed,  appeared  close  to  the  Prince's 


FEATS  OF  SKILL  AND    STRENGTH.  259 

• 

dais,  and  favoured  his  Royal  Highness  with  a  version  of  "I'm 
off  to  Charlestown,"  from  a  Christy's  Minstrel  melody  book. 
The  effect  wati  almost  too  ridiculous  for  anybody  to  request 
them  to  go  to  Charlestown  at  once.  They  sang  their  song  in  a 
villainous  fashion,  held  out  their  shabby  hats  for  money,  and 
forthwith  departed  to  frighten  elephants,  camels,  and  horses 
with  their  discordant  shouts. 

The  National  Anthem  sounded  the  arrival  of  the  Prince,  and 
immediately  afterwards  the  bands — there  was  plenty  of  them — 
struck  up  a  more  lively  tune,  and  the  competitors  entered  the 
lists.  The  first  champion,  a  broad-shouldered  Sikh,  wore  a  blue 
puggaree  round  his  head,  and  a  blue  linen  coat.  On  the  head 
of  the  lance  he  carried  was  a  huge  piece  of  cork  or  indiarubber, 
and  on  his  breast  shone  many  a  medal ;  the  star,  with  the 
magic  words,  "  For  Valour,"  glittering  on  his  dress ;  at  the 
sight  of  him  many  a  caitiff  rebel  had  fled ;  his  lance  had  in  days 
not  very  long  gone  by  been  couched  at  stubborn  foes,  and  had 
overthrown  them.  To  meet  him  there  came  another  no  mean 
antagonist,  a  burly  Punjabee,  with  his  puggaree  curled  round 
his  head  in  military  fashion,  with  a  red  end  turned  over  the 
front.  He,  too,  led  by  the  gallant  Nicholson,  had  used  his 
lance  against  Sepoy  foemen.  No  child's  play  was  the  thrust  of 
his  arm  when  his  blood  was  up.  The  spectator  looked  on  with 
some  awe.  Both  warriors  were  well  matched,  and  it  was  a 
great  question  who  should  win.  The  chargers  of  the'opponents 
were  pawing  the  ground  waiting  for  the  signal.  At  last  it  was 
given,  and  each  dashed  against  the  other.  Thud  !  Thud  !  but 
to  no  purpose ;  the  shock  has  effected  nothing,  for  the  horsemen 
have  wheeled  round.  Once  more  they  rush,  and  again  without 
success,  though  you  and  I,  and  less  marvellous  horsemen,  would 
have  been  hurled  out  of  the  enclosure.  No  fear  is  there  that 
their  lances  will  shiver;  as  well  might  you  expect  to  see  a 
Muniporee's  polo  stick  break.  They  clash  and  then  charge 
again,  they  strike  each  other  on  the  backs  as  they  wh/jel  round, 


260  wITTL  THE  FRINGE  IN  INDIA. 

they  plunge  their  lances  into  each  other's  stomachs,  "but  all  to 
no  purpose,  till  after  some  minutes  the  Sikh  contrives  to  get 
upon  the  flank  of  his  antagonist.  Only  for  a  minute,  but  what 
a  minute  is  that !  Out  goes  his  arm,  in  goes  the  spear.  His 
opponent  receives  the  head  in  his  ribs,  his  horse  staggers,  rocks, 
and  the  rider  falls  to  the  ground,  as  the  lance  is  pressed  home 
by  that  terrible  Sikh.  Cossack,  or  Uhlan,  would  that  you  could 
hear  the  crash  of  that  falling  man. 

Nor  was  the  scene  less  exciting  in  another  part  of  the  arena. 
Those  who  have  not  seen  tent-pegging  as  practised  in  India  may 
like  to  know  what  the  work  for  the  competitors  was.  Driven 
into  the  ground  so  as  to  remain  about  six  inches  above  the  sur- 
face was  a  genuine  tent-peg — hardwood,  nothing  more  or  less 
than  the  piece  of  hard  fibre  which  is  used  to  fasten  the  canvas 
down.  To  stand  by  it  and  strike  it  with  one  of  the  ponderous 
lances  which  our  cavalry,  Indian  and  English,  carry,  is  no  easy 
task.  You  might  try  a  hundred  times  and  not  thrust  it  through. 
But  what  will  you  say  to  a  man  who  could  ride  at  a  full  gallop 
three  hundred  yards,  and,  while  his  horse  rushed  past  it,  almost 
like  a  flash  of  lightning,  could  pick  up  the  piece  of  wood  on  the  end 
of  his  spear  1  Yet  this  was  the  task  set,  and  how  it  was  fulfilled 
you  shall  see.  A  signal  being  given,  an  English  cavalryman 
burst  from  a  group  at  the  distance  named,  and  rushed  up  the 
course.  I  noticed  that  he  did  not  keep  his  lance's  head  near 
the  ground ;  that,  indeed  he  held  the  head  up,  but  lowered  his 
own  face  somewhat,  so  as  to  see  the  little  white  mark  the  more 
readily.  All  depended  upon  his  being  able  to  strike  at  the  pre- 
cise moment  when  he  should  reach  the  miniature  target  set  up 
for  him  ;  there  was  no  jugglery,  no  trick ;  all  depended  upon  a 
quick  eye,  a  cool  nerve,  and  a  strong  and  ready  arm.  Onward 
he  flew  with  lightning-like  rapidity,  not  diminishing  his  pace 
one  whit  till  he  reached  the  peg,  when,  with  a  dexterous  turn 
of  the  wrist,  he  struck  the  wood  in  the  centre  and  carried  it  off 
triumphantly.     Less  successful  was  his  rival  who  followed,  or 


FEATS  OF  SKILL  AND  STRENGTH.  261 

the  one  who  came  after  that,  the  man  of  the  11th  Hussars  re- 
maining facile  pi-inceps  till  three  or  four  had  gone,  when  another 
achieved  a  like  distinction,  and  was  loudly  applauded.  Two  or 
three  more  came  very  near  it,  and  then  it  was  the  turn  of  native 
horsemen.  At  a  given  signal  a  rider  in  blue  turban  and  dress 
came  flying  towards  us,  his  lance  held  rather  more  slanting  than 
those  of  the  English,  and  a  little  more  loosely.  He  rode  easily^ 
however,  with  his  eye  fixed  on  the  peg,  and,  just  as  he  came  up 
to  it,  sent  his  spear  clean  through  the  middle,  and  bore  the 
trophy  away.  Another  peg  was  fixed,  and  another  horseman 
rode  at  it.  But  this  time  the  fates  were  not  propitious ;  he 
struck  the  ground  a  foot  from  the  little  mark,  and  was  nearly 
jerked  out  of  the  saddle ;  another  and  another  came  on,  but 
some  went  a  little  too  high  and  others  a  little  too  low,  three 
only  of  the  party  succeeding  in  carrying  off  the  peg.  And  now 
came  the  deciding  heat,  for  each  horseman  was  to  have  two 
trials,  and  the  conqueror  was  yet  to  appear.  This  time  three 
Englishmen  in  succession  struck  the  mark,  one  of  whom  won 
the  prize.  Of  the  natives  there  were  none  who  struck  the  peg 
twice ;  each  did  so  once  in  the  two  trials  without  difficulty,  but 
none  were  equal  to  the  hussar,  and  so  the  prize  fell  to  the 
Englishman,  and  the  Sikhs  and  Punjabees  acknowleged  the 
justice  of  the  award  with  a  loud  cheer. 

Jumping  over  a  bar  was  the  amusement  which  followed  this 
achievement,  being  duly  rewarded  by  a  prize  of  some  value, 
and  this  occupied  the  attention  of  the  spectators  till  the  ar- 
rangements for  the  next  trial  of  skill,  as  distinguished  from 
force,  were  completed.  Then  the  horsemen  who  had  been  upon 
the  course  left  it,  the  jumping  ceased,  the  perspiring  competitors 
retired,  and  made  way  for  other  men.  What  had  been  done 
in  the  interval  was  simply  this.  Three  sticks,  duly  prepared, 
had  been  driven  into  the  ground,  and  on  the  top  of  these  three 
little  limes,  none  of  them  larger  than  a  respectable  pigeon's 
egg,  had  been  placed.  At  a  distance  of  three  or  four  hundred 
yards  a  body  of  swordsmen  had  been  collected,  and  these,  native 


262  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

and  English,  now  waited  to  try  their  skill.  No  mean  trial 
was  that  to  which  they  were  invited.  It  was  simply  this — 
to  ride  four  hundred  yards  at  a  gallop,  sword  in  hand,  and  to 
cut  the  three  limes  in  halves  as  they  passed  the  sticks  with  a 
sword.  The  first  man  was  a  trooper  of  the  11th  Hussars;  his 
name  was  Jones.  He  carried  the  ordinary  cavalry  sabre  of  the 
service.  As  he  came  on  I  noticed  that  he  leaned  very  much 
on  the  right  stirrup,  with  his  head  lower  than  the  pommel  of 
his  saddle.  His  sword-arm  was  free,  and  the  weapon  loosely 
held.  As  he  came  by  the  first  lemon  fell  in  halves,  the  second 
was  clipped  of  its  rind,  and  the  third  was  cut  in  the  middle 
with  a  powerful  blow  that  showed  Mr.  Jones  to  be  one  of  the 
keenest  swordsmen  living.  Three  such  strokes  in  less  than 
seventy  yards  were  not  easy  to  deliver.  Then  there  came 
another  hussar  of  the  same  regiment,  carrying  a  native  sword, 
curved  but  sharp.  To  him  the  first  and  second  lemon  fell,  but 
the  third  was  untouched  as  he  galloped  by.  A  third  English- 
man came  and  missed  all  three,  overthrowing,  however,  two 
of  the  stands  as  he  swept  on.  Then  a  fourth  rode  up,  and 
rivalled  the  feat  of  Mr.  Jones,  cutting  all  three  lemons  with 
the  ease  of  a  man  who  was  aiming  at  a  world  rather  than  at 
such  a  tiny  mark.  In  this  way  the  trial  of  skill  proceeded ; 
three  more  Englishmen  achieved  the  feat,  but  the  rest  had  less 
success.  Then  came  the  native  swordsmen,  dashing  along  at  a 
furious  rate  one  after  another.  They,  too,  were  very  success- 
ful, four  of  them,  as  against  five  Englishmen,  clipping  the  limes 
in  half.  A  neater  feat  of  horsemanship  could  not  be  imagined ; 
Cossacks  of  the  Don  would  have  shuddered  to  see  these  Sikh 
horsemen  dash  along  the  plain.  The  second  trial  ended  no 
better  for  the  natives ;  the  English  carried  off  the  prize,  and 
even  Punjabees  and  Sikhs  shouted  applause,  so  great  was  the 
feat  these  soldiers  achieved.  Races  on  foot  came  next,  in  which 
the  Englishmen  won  laurels  again  with  ease }  and  then  the 
entertainment  ended,  the  trials  of  strength  and  skill  were  over, 
the  Prince  went  away,  and  the  company  dispersed. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

JUMMOO   THE    MAGNIFICENT. 

At  Jummoo  the  farthest  point  of  our  journey  was  reached. 
The  trip  culminated  in  the  frontier  town  of  Cashmere,  and,  as 
was  befitting,  the  Prince  found  his  most  splendid  reception 
there.  It  was  early  in  the  morning  that  a  party  specially  in- 
vited by  the  Maharajah  of  Cashmere  as  his  guests  started  from 
Lahore  by  rail  to  Wazirabad,  the  last  railway  station  in  the 
North  of  India.  We  did  not  pass  over  the  land  where  Porus 
fought  and  Alexander  conquered,  with  unseemly  haste.  Six 
hours  were  consumed  in  a  journey  of  some  fifty  miles.  We 
had  plenty  of  time  to  meditate  upon  the  ups  and  downs  of 
political  fortunes,  to  gaze  at  Bunjeet  Sing's  famous  burial  place, 
where  thirteen  faithful  wives  shared  the  tomb  with  their  lord, 
and  at  the  grave  known  best  for  its  four  towering  minarets  and 
its  splendid  wall.  Save  for  its  historic  recollections,  the  country 
could  scarcely  be  styled  interesting.  A  constant  succession  of 
plains  and  ditches  without  monuments  of  any  kind  is  not  calcu- 
lated to  create  enthusiasm,  and  until  Wazirabad  was  nearly 
reached,  and  the  snow-covered  peaks  of  the  Himalayas  came  in 
view,  something  very  akin  to  monotony  was  observable.  But 
this  was  not  to  last.  The  poetry  of  motion  which  a  "  dak 
gharry,"  or  Indian  stage-coach,  engenders  was  in  store  for  us, 
and  very  soon  we  were  seated  in  two  of  the  funniest  burlesques 
upon  vehicles  that  can  be  conceived.  How  we  went  over 
hedgerows  and  ditches,  plunged  into  cart-ruts,  and  very  nearly 
turned  over;  how  we  passed  the  last  British  outposts,  took 
short  cuts  over  ploughed  fields,  and  at  last  arrived  in  sight  of 
Jummoo,  needs  not  to  be  described.     It  was  at  the  moment  of 


264:  WITS  TEE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

sunset  when  the  town  was  seen.  Behind  it  were  the  ever- 
lasting hills,  on  one,  indeed,  of  which  it  is  seated.  All  round 
was  dense  jungle.  For  hours  the  sky  had  been  beclouded;  we 
had  not  seen  a  bright  ray  all  the  afternoon,  till  at  this  moment 
the  sun  burst  out  and  lit  up  the  landscape  with  its  marvellous 
light.  Pink,  orange,  dark  purple  fell  upon  the  snow-capped 
ridge,  threw  the  three-peaked  Tri-couta  into  bold  relief,  glittered 
upon  the  dome  and  minarets,  the  golden  spires  and  white  stone 
buildings  of  Jummoo,  lightened  the  dark  green  of  the  jungle, 
and  then  left  us  in  gloom.  After  this  we  entered  the  thicket, 
passed  by  devious  ways  from  the  altitude  we  had  reached 
namely,  a  thousand  feet,  to  the  bed  of  the  river  Tow,  where  a 
surprise  not  altogether  pleasant  awaited  us.  By  the  light  of 
the  stars,  now  shining  pretty  clearly,  we  could  just  discern  the 
sluggish  stream  at  our  feet.  Upon  a  hill  on  the  opposite  side 
twinkled  the  lights  of  Jummoo.  Our  means  of  conveyance 
were  elephants,  which  waited  on  their  knees  for  us  to  mount 
and  ride.  It  may  be  prejudice,  it  may  be  ignorance,  but  if 
asked  for  a  positive  opinion,  I  should  not  travel  for  choice  on 
the  back  of  an  elephant  at  night  time  where  the  rivers  have  to 
be  forded  and  the  hills  ascended.  A  Member  of  Parliament 
who  was  one  of  the  party,  finding  that  the  howdah  which  he 
was  invited  to  ascend  was  not  fastened  so  rigidly  as  to  abso- 
lutely warrant  security  against  a  fall,  in^lored  some  other 
means  of  transit,  and  was  eventually  conveyed  to  Jummoo  in 
a  palanquin,  which  was  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  four  men 
across  an  exceedingly  rickety  bridge  of  boats.  The  rest  of  us, 
however,  mounted  and  started  for  the  water.  Down  a  steep 
bank,  the  elephant  cautiously  feeling  his  way,  at  one  time  deep 
in  the  mud,  and  the  next  in  the  water,  with  the  elephant's 
head,  huge  as  the  animal  was,  only  just  clear,  and  its  great 
trunk  lifted  high  in  the  air,  our  progress  was  not  very  rapid. 
Occasionally  the  elephants  would  stand  still  as  though  unde- 
cided which  way  to  go  \  then  an  advance  of  half-a-dozen  strides 


JUMMOO  THE  MAGNIFICENT.  265 

woukl  be  taken,  and  another  standstill  arrived  at.  Sluggish  as 
was  the  stream,  it  was  very  wide,  and  it  seemed  as  though  the 
opposite  shore  would  never  be  reached.  At  length,  however, 
we  stood  on  dry  ground,  and  prepared  to  ascend  the  hill.  Our 
way  lay  through  roads  not  more  than  six  feet  wide,  through 
passages  crammed  with  horses,  camels,  and  men.  Up  steep 
staircases,  whereon  the  elephants'  feet  slipped,  and  from  which 
a  fall  would  have  been  extremely  inconvenient ;  and  so  through 
the  narrow  gate  of  the  city,  where  the  streets  were  thronged 
and  Pandemonium  reigned.  Still  there  was  no  time  to  stop, 
for  the  howdahs  shook  violently,  and  threatened  to  turn  round 
every  moment.  Some  of  us  urged  our  way  to  the  palace  of  the 
Maharajah,  where  tents  were  provided  and  a  welcome  rest  was 
found.  I  am  particular  in  thus  detailing  the  peculiarities  of 
the  way  to  Jummoo,  as  it  was  over  this  ground  that  the  Prince 
t>f  Wales  had  to  travel  on  the  following  day. 

Day  had  scarcely  broken,  the  light  had  hardly  struggled  over 
the  mountains,  when  such  a  drumming  and  trumpeting  as 
could  only  be  heard  in  an  Eastern  city  roused  everybody  from 
sleep.  Every  Cashmere  regiment — and  the  city  was  full  of 
troops — was  in  motion,  every  band  was  playing  what  it  liked 
best.  And  when  it  is  noted  that  scarcely  any  two  instruments 
were  in  tune  with  each  other,  that  some  hundreds  of  musicians 
were  doing  their  best,  and  that  at  least  thirty  different  airs 
were  being  performed  at  once,  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the 
din  and  the  clatter.  Meanwhile,  the  Maharajah  and  his  son, 
each  mounted  on  a  beautiful  Arab,  attended  by  all  kinds  of 
horsemen,  and  surrounded  by  scores  of  runners  on  foot,  entered 
the  city  to  inspect  the  preparations.  More  troops,  too,  filed  in 
at  the  gateways,  thousands  of  workmen  prepared  the  roads, 
gave  the  finishing  touches  to  a  grand  palace  which  his  Highness 
has  especially  erected  in  honour  of  the  Prince,  while  the  police 
went  round  and  shut  up  the  shops,  clouted  the  recalcitrant, 
overturned  the  money  tables,  and  bid  everybody  be  merry. 

17 


266  WITH  THE  PBINGE  IN  INDIA. 

As  a  consequence  Jummoo  decked  itself  out  in  its  very  best, 
gave  its  finest  shawls  to  its  inhabitants,  displayed  a  wonderful 
collection  of  flags,  and  received  the  soldiers  with  all  demonstra- 
tions of  joy.  The  visitors  from  Leh,  specially  brought  hither 
to  aid  in  the  fete,  were  invited  to  lend  the  energy  of  their  arms 
and  the  noise  of  their  tom-toms  to  the  general  rejoicing.  And 
if  anybody  was  not  inclined  to  be  merry,  he  went  where  the 
eye  of  the  inspector  and  the  staff  of  the  policemen  could  not 
reach  him.  As  for  the  troops,  they  poured  in  till,  with  shoulder 
close  to  shoulder,  they  lined  all  the  way  from  the  river  to  the 
Prince's  tent  on  both  sides,  a  distance  of  nearly  three  miles, 
and  there  stood,  the  great  shakos  and  heavy  muskets  weighing 
down  their  diminutive  forms  very  nearly  to  the  ground.  At 
very  short  intervals  their  bands  were  placed  in  position,  rocket- 
guns  were  in  the  street  by  scores,  the  artillery  of  the  Maharajah 
was  posted  inside  the  gates  of  the  city  and  the  gates  of  the 
palace,  and  the  populace  filled  up  the  picture.  This  was  ready 
at  twelve  o'clock ;  but  the  Prince  did  not  arrive  till  five. 

Down  at  the  river-side  a  very  extraordinary  scene  presented 
itself.  To  have  an  idea  of  the  locale  take  any  one  of  the  wider 
reaches  of  the  Rhine,  trebling  the  width  of  the  river  and  the 
hills  on  either  side.  Round  the  natural  amphitheatre  thus 
obtained  bring  the  highest  mountains  of  the  Alps,  with  their 
snow-capped  tops.  There  would,  of  course,  be  no  vines,  but  in 
place  of  these  tiny  trees  substitute  a  dense  jungle.  Then  fix  on 
one  of  the  nearest  hills  behind  the  river  a  city  of  white  and  red 
stone,  plentifully  decorated  with  palaces  and  temples,  towers 
and  golden  minarets.  A  palace  not  unlike  Windsor  Castle,  at 
one  point  of  a  precipice,  would  then  suffice  to  represent  Jum- 
moo very  nearly.  Otherwise,  ride  along  the  banks  of  the  Tow, 
at  the  moment  when  the  last  rays  of  the  sun  are  gilding  the 
peaks  of  the  Pier-punjal  range.  Then  we  are  transported  back 
centuries  upon  centuries.  Nothing  that  meets  the  eye  has  any- 
thing to  do  with  the  age  in  which  we  were  living  a  minute  or 


JUMMOO  THE  MAGNIFICENT.  267 

two  ago ;  the  West  has  altogether  disappeared ;  we  are  lost  to 
civilisation;  only  the  East,  with  its  barbaric  splendour,  is 
before  us.  I  cannot  call  to  mind  any  such  other  spectacle. 
A  like  sight  may  have  been  witnessed  in  the  old  days,  and  now, 
as  then,  there  are  in  the  procession  which  stands  on  the  bank 
Persians  with  high  Astrachan  caps,  long  cloaks,  gaiters,  and 
sandals.  They  certainly  have  a  kind  of  blunderbuss  on  their 
shoulders,  but  from  the  huge  bell  mouth  of  the  weapon  no  more 
effective  missile  could  be  sent  than  those  which  the  followers  of 
Darius  and  Porus  used  to  hurl.  Then,  too,  there  are  men-at- 
arms  here — no  counterfeit  specimens,  but  real  men  in  armour, 
with  little  brass  caps  something  like  inverted  tea  saucers  with 
a  spike  in  the  centre,  on  their  heads,  chain  mail  covering  their 
ears  and  necks,  brass  breastplates,  brass  backplates  particularly 
thick — brass  guards  for  the  elbows  and  arms — gloves  of  brass, 
and  brass  protections  for  the  ribs,  hips,  knees,  and  ankles.  In 
their  hands  are  long  javelins,  at  their  sides  curved  swords, 
called  tulwars,  while  from  their  waistbelts  hang  pistols  of  the 
good  old  pattern  prized  in  the  days  when  such  things  were  first 
invented.  They  surely  have  no  part  or  lot  in  the  nineteenth 
century.  Nor  is  a  party  of  men  who  wear  turbans,  and,  ap- 
parently, carry  any  weapon  they  like  best,  more  modernised. 
Away  with  the  drill  which  makes  machines  and  destroys  inde- 
pendence !  Here  are  some  warlike  gentlemen  who  are  allowed 
to  make  themselves  look  as  fierce  as  they  choose.  But  their 
parti-coloured  petticoats,  their  boots,  their  blankets,  their  spears, 
their  shields,  and  their  tulwars  all  belong  to  his  Highness  the 
Maharajah,  whose  emissaries  they  are.  And  the  two  golden 
banners  round  which  they  swarm  are  his  escutcheons.  Perhaps 
I  was  wrong  in  saying  there  is  nothing  modern.  A  body  of 
cavalry  in  front  of  all  have  certainly  got  helmets  which  closely 
border  upon  the  headdress  of  the  French  Cent-Gardes.  But 
that  is  all.  Lose  sight  of  the  casque  for  a  moment,  and  glance 
at  the  bodies  and  nether  extremities  of  these  warriors.     The 


268  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

present  is  forgotten  at  once ;  the  past  remains.  The  most 
gentle  object  in  view  is  the  elephant  which  stands  close  beside 
you  and  jingles  every  minute  or  two  the  great  bells  which  hang 
at  his  side.  Yet  even  he  has  his  peculiarities,  as  you  discover 
when  he  reaches  out  his  trunk  towards  the  neck  of  your  terrified 
horse,  and  after  you  hear  in  more  detailed  fashion  of  the  ease  and 
grace  with  which  he  has  captured  and  killed  no  less  than  thirteen 
human  beings  during  his  stay  at  Jummoo.  There  are  plenty  of 
his  brethren  here.  Thirty,  in  fact,  are  on  this  bank  of  the  river, 
all  highly  decorated  and  painted  in  approved  style,  while  across 
the  river,  well  within  sight,  are  nearly  two  score  more,  two  with 
grand  worked  gold  and  silver  howdahs,  fit,  as  indeed  they  are 
intended,  for  the  Prince  and  Maharajah.  They  are  regal 
elephants,  these  \  on  their  backs  and  tails  the  painter's  skill  has 
been  recklessly  lavished ;  their  foreheads  and  trunks  are  master- 
pieces of  pictorial  art,  and  on  their  trunks  are  the  faces  of  gods 
and  goddesses  portrayed  with  endless  care.  Even  their  ears  are 
not  forgotten.  On  the  wide-spreading  flaps  are  drawings  of 
lions  leaping  upon  fishes  or  whales  encountering  tigers,  while 
on  their  sides  are  Royal  coats  of  arms  and  pictures  of  the  three 
feathers.  Perhaps  with  a  very  strong  glass  glimpses  might  be 
caught  of  a  troop  of  English  Lancers — the  9th — who  wait  the 
coming  of  the  Prince  as  he  will  emerge  from  the  jungle,  but 
this  is  only  momentarily ;  they  are  lost  immediately  afterwards 
in  the  crowd  of  black  horsemen  who  sweep  along  the  bank  and 
envelope  the  tiny  company. 

A  gun  from  a  distant  hill  just  now  wakes  the  echoes,  and 
immediately  afterwards  a  stir  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river 
announces  the  arrival  of  the  Prince.  Salute  after  salute  is 
fired;  the  Persians  shoulder  their  blunderbusses  with  more 
pride  than  ever ;  the  men-at-arms  stand  closer  together ;  yonder 
horsemen  in  helmets  sit  straight  in  their  huge  Eastern 
saddles;  the  crowd  of  chieftains  who  have  descended  from 
Jummoo,  and  whose  horses  have  brought  them  down  to  the 


JUMMOO  THE  MAGNIFICENT.  269 

river's  edge— a  bediamonded,  begilded,  silk  bedecked  crew — form 
into  column  four  deep;  the  tom-toms  beat  faster  than  ever; 
the  pipes  are  blown  more  vigorously  than  before ;  while  a  tall 
Asiatic  horseman  gallops  over  the  little  bridge  of  boats  which 
partly  connects  the  opposite  shores,  then  plunges  into  the 
water,  and  so  up  the  banks  to  where  the  soldiers  are  waiting, 
and  bids  them  prepare  for  the  Maharajah  Sahib  and  the  Prince 
Sahib.  No  need  to  tell  them — they  have  all  prepared,  their 
eyes  twinkle  with  pride  and  curiosity,  for  are  they  not  the 
bravest  of  the  brave,  and  is  not  the  sight  they  are  to  witness 
the  grandest  in  the  world?  Just  now  the  elephants  on  the 
other  side  are  seen  to  kneel  one  after  another,  as  they  then  re- 
ceive their  riders,  and  as  they  turn  to  descend  into  the  river  the 
horsemen  of  the  Maharajah,  headed  by  the  9th  Lancers,  gallop 
across  to  the  shore  we  stand  on.  Very  slowly  the  Prince's 
elephant  places  one  foot  after  another  in  the  water,  so  carefully 
that  the  howdah  scarcely  sways  at  all,  as  with  measured  tread  it 
feels  its  way  through  the  bed  of  the  river.  Following  close  be- 
hind comes  the  elephant  of  the  Maharajah ;  then  those  carrying 
the  Prince's  suite,  together  with  Major  Henderson,  the  former 
Resident,  and  Colonel  Jenkins,  who,  during  the  temporary 
absence  of  the  Major  with  the  Prince,  fulfilled  the  duties  of 
Resident,  and  fulfilled  them  well.  Preceded  by  the  motley 
soldiers,  the  Poyal  procession  wends  its  way  round  the  side  of 
the  hill  on  which  Jummoo  stands,  now  passing  by  the  edge  of 
a  precipice  and  now  going  between  the  jungle,  till  at  last  it 
comes  to  the  foot  of  the  last  ascent  before  the  gate  of  the  city  is 
reached.  But  what  a  climb  it  is !  Scarcely  less  steep  than  the 
staircase  of  an  ordinary  London  dwelling-house.  Indeed,  it 
would  be  impossible  for  us  to  ride  up  it  were  it  not  that  it  has 
been  cut  into  wide  stairs,  and  paved  with  rough  boulders — 
boulders,  by  the  way,  upon  which  the  feet  of  horses  slip  horribly, 
to  the  constant  peril  of  riders.  However,  up  these  steps  must 
the  procession  go — elephants,  horses,  footmen,  and  all.     Night, 


270  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

too,  is  coming  on — has  caught  us  in.  As  we  pass  between  the 
long  lines  of  soldiers  who  are  armed  with  flintlock  muskets, 
they  stand  close  shoulder  to  shoulder  and  salute  as  we  go  by- 
Nothing  more  funny  was  ever  heard  than  the  way  in  which  the 
National  Anthem  is  played  by  musicians  of  all  descriptions, 
placed  at  intervals  of  about  two  hundred  yards  all  along  the 
line  of  route.  They  have  probably  never  attempted  it  before 
they  were  ordered  to  rehearse  for  to-day.  They  play  with 
energy,  at  least,  though  to  our  ears  the  result  is  appalling. 
But  at  the  instant  when  our  thoughts  run  in  this  wise,  they  are 
turned  sharply  in  another  direction  ;  for  suddenly  the  city  above 
and  the  hedgerows  around  break  out  into  a  blaze  of  flame  as 
thousands  of  torches,  lamps,  and  fires  are  kindled  simultane- 
ously. No  wonder  the  horses  fly  among  the  terror-stricken 
soldiery,  no  wonder  the  elephants  execute  a  fandango  on  the 
steep  staircase.  Yet,  somehow  or  other,  although  several  are 
thrown  from  their  seats,  we  all  get  up  and  pass  through  the 
narrow  gate  of  the  city,  where  we  are  received  by  a  salvo  of 
artillery  from  brass  guns  not  twenty  yards  distant.  The  artil- 
lery and  scores  of  bands  massed  near  the  gateway  have  been 
too  much  for  the  procession,  and  the  conspirators  are  struggling 
to  get  away  from  the  elephants  and  horses.  On  we  go ;  the 
Lama  priests  are  true  to  their  post  on  the  top  of  the  house,  and 
fully  maintain  their  ancient  reputation  as  noise-makers  as  the 
Prince  passes  by;  the  healthy,  broad-chested,  strong-armed 
gentlemen  of  Leh,  who  never  wash,  are  also  in  fine  form,  and 
play  with  all  their  reputed  vigour.  They  are  easy  victors  over 
a  brass  band  opposite — the  street  is  just  twelve  feet  wide — 
which  is  trying  "  God  save  the  Queen  "  in  a  newly-discovered 
key.  The  horses  are  clearly  of  this  opinion ;  for  they  rush  from 
the  musicians  of  Leh  into  the  very  arms  of  the  bandsmen  of 
Cashmere.  However,  we  stay  not :  our  path  lies  between  more 
bands,  more  soldiers  in  extraordinary  costumes,  more  crowds  of 
delighted  people  who  gather  in  the  shop-fronts  and  on  the  tops 


JUMMOO  THE  MAGNIFICENT.  271 

of  the  low  houses,  and  gibber  with  unqualified  pleasure  at  the 
unearthly  din.  And  so  we  come  to  the  foot  of  another  ascent 
which  leads  to  the  new  palace  which  the  Maharajah  has  built 
for  the  Prince.  Again  we  are  received  with  artillery,  clatter, 
and  shouts,  aided  also  by  bouquets  of  rockets,  which  seem  to 
shoot  up  at  our  very  feet,  and  thus  enter  the  camp,  where,  'mid 
tent  pegs,  ropes,  pitfalls,  and  obstacles  of  various  kinds,  we  find 
our  way  to  appointed  places,  and  dismount.  The  Prince  is  con- 
ducted to  his  apartments  by  the  Maharajah,  and  time  is  given 
to  prepare  for  the  State  dinner  of  the  evening. 


CHAPTEE  XXVII. 

SPORT   IN   CASHMERE. 

To  be  a  sportsman  in  Cashmere,  as  in  Spain,  you  must  not 
be  burdened  with  sensitive  feelings.  You  will  not  enjoy  the 
programme  if  you  are  a  prominent  and  conscientious  member 
of  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals.  Still 
you  must  go  as  a  dutiful  guest  to  see  the  entertainments  your 
host  provides  for  you,  although  the  sight  may  not  be  in 
accordance  with  your  tastes.  Leaving,  then,  the  refinement  of 
humanity  behind  you,  let  us  mount  our  ponies  to  be  off  in 
the  direction  of  the  rendezvous  for  sport  this  afternoon.  You 
are  promised  polo  playing,  gymnastic  games,  and  feats  of  skill, 
to  which  you  cannot,  by  any  possibility,  object.  In  addition  to 
these  there  is  something  much  more  delightful  to  the  Cashmere 
mind ;  there  are  to  be  hunts  by  wild  animals  in  the  presence 
of  the  Maharajah.  Once  across  the  river,  an  hour's  gallop 
brings  us  to  our  destination.  The  Prince,  who  has  been  hunt- 
ing all  day,  and,  by  the  way,  has  succeeded  in  killing  some 
game,  is  expected  shortly,  so  in  the  meanwhile  you  have  an 
opportunity  of  examining  the  ground  and  those  who  are  on  it. 
At  one  side  is  a  raised  dais,  with  a  refreshment  tent  for  the 
Royal  party;  on  the  right  of  this  are  some  camels  and  elephants, 
and,  squatted  on  the  ground,  a  number  of  semi-nude  black  men 
from  the  valley  across  the  river.  At  present  these  are  not 
worth  much  attention,  as  other  groups  deserve  more.  There 
are,  for  instance,  some  scores  of  persons  with  hawks,  kites,  and 
falcons  on  their  arms,  some  hooded,  some  not,  but  all  anxious 
for  flight.  A  little  in  the  rear  of  these  are  some  black  fellows 
who  have  charge  of  two  cheetahs  like  those  we  saw  at  Baroda, 


SPORT  IN  CASHMERE.  273 

and  two  or  three  great  lynxes,  apparently  very  furious  beasts. 
Sadder  by  far  is  a  group  of  three  beautiful  deer,  one  buck  and 
two  does,  two  or  three  hares,  and  a  couple  of  jackals,  who  lie 
close  to  each  other  on  the  ground,  their  feet  tied,  and  their 
tongues  hanging  out  of  their  mouths,  possibly  for  want  of  water; 
perhaps  owing  to  fear.  Then,  further  on  still,  almost  exactly 
in  front  of  the  raised  dais,  are  some  hundred  and  fifty  men 
and  boys — Baltis,  from  over  the  hills,  side  by  side  with  their 
ponies.  They  are  here  to  do  battle  to  day  in  presence  of  the 
Heir  Apparent,  and  you  naturally  expect  great  things.  Polo 
players  in  England  will  be  interested  in  learning  that  these 
mountaineers  have  a  very  different  kind  of  stick  from  that  used 
either  by  the  Munniporees  or  the  players  at  Hurlingham,  namely, 
a  club-like  weapon  curved  at  the  end,  and  very  much  heavier 
than  those  in  use  elsewhere.  As  for  the  ponies,  they  have  no 
guards  of  leather,  and  indeed  are  not  very  good  animals  either. 
However,  as  these  people  have  come  five  hundred  miles  over  the 
Himalayas  to  show  their  method  of  playing  polo  to  the  Prince, 
you  are  not  disposed  to  be  too  critical  as  yet,  but  wait  in  expecta- 
tion of  some  wonderful  work.  Maj  or-General  Biddulph  explains, 
too,  that  the  gentlemen  who  are  here  to-day,  clad  in  gorgeous  silks 
of  every  conceivable  colour — that  is  to  say,  half  of  them,  the  rest 
having  no  clothing  to  speak  of  at  all — have  till  lately  been  a 
sad  trouble  to  peaceably  disposed  folk.  They  only  now  behave 
themselves  because  they  are  vassals  of  the  Maharajah ;  and 
yonder  sturdy  little  chieftain,  who  is  trying  hard  to  bend  his 
disagreeable  features  into  a  pleasant  cast  while  an  artist  sketches 
him,  was  long  renowned  as  a  sort  of  Cashmere  Eobin  Hood, 
whose  followers  were  more  wily  than  honest,  and  whose  merry 
men  were  the  terror  of  travellers.  However,  at  such  a  time  as 
this,  when  the  Prince  is  stepping  upon  the  dais,  we  must  let 
bygones  be  bygones,  although  there  are  at  least  a  score  of  the 
savages  glaring  at  the  English  strangers  as  though  they  would 
heartily  enjoy  a  few  minuted  cutting  and  hacking  with  the 


274  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

curved  tulwars  they  grasp  in  their  nervous  hands.  But  their 
comrades  in  silk  are  mounting  the  ponies,  and  they,  as  well  as 
we,  are  quickly  absorbed  in  the  interest  of  the  game.  Advanc- 
ing to  the  centre  of  the  open  space  before  the  Prince,  these  polo 
players  make  a  low  bow  to  his  Royal  Highness,  whereupon 
some  musicians  with  trumpets  quite  two  yards  long,  also  some 
sinewy  tom-tom  players,  squat  on  the  ground  and  commence  an 
awful  din.  More  astonishing  still  is  the  noise  which  the  multi- 
tude who  have  no  silk,  but  only  rags,  indulge  in.  No  sooner 
do  the  ponies  and  their  riders  move  toward  one  end  of  the 
ground  than  every  savage  howls  or  whistles  to  the  utmost  of  his 
power.  Then  a  sudden  lull  takes  place ;  the  ball  is  hurled  into 
the  air  and  sent  whirling  along  the  plain,  while  the  horsemen 
go  after  it  helter-skelter,  whereupon  trumpeters,  tom-tom  play- 
ers, and  howlers  make  more  noise.  So  it  is  every  time  the 
players  pass  by — a  blast  proceeds  from  the  trumpets,  a  thunder 
of  sound  from  the  tom-toms,  and  a  vocal  accompaniment  from 
their  admirers  of  no  uncertain  note.  They  are  clearly  delighted 
beyond  measure  to  see  their  countrymen  so  gallantly  attired 
moving  before  the  Prince,  and  they  could  make  the  most  hide- 
ous roaring  for  many  hours  if  allowed.  Somehow  or  other, 
those  engaged  in  the  game  achieve  nothing ;  they  miss  the  ball 
continually,  they  tumble  off  their  horses,  they  do  not  compete 
with  opposing  sides — four  Munniporee  players  would  beat 
twenty  of  them  with  ease.  At  last  the  Prince  sends  to  ask  if 
they  cannot  form  into  two  parties  of  say  five  each,  and  try  the 
regular  game,  to  which,  after  much  discussion,  they  agree.  But 
it  is  all  to  no  purpose,  and  very  soon  they  are  requested  to 
disappear  and  make  room  for  better  men.  They  go,  and  the 
athletes  in  the  corner  take  their  places.  The  chief  points  about 
these  gentlemen  appear  to  be  that  they  were  almost  naked,  very 
greasy,  and  capable  of  almost  any  grotesque  movement  that 
suggested  itself.  Two  would  meet  with  a  rush,  and  each  plac- 
ing his  head  between  the  other's  legs  would  forthwith  turn  a 


SFOMT  IN  CASHMEME.  275 

series  of  spinning  wheels,  making  us  wonder  whether  they  were 
really  human  beings.  Then  they  would  throw  all  kinds  of 
somersaults  while  clasped  in  couples,  fly  over  each  other's  heads, 
and  generally  impersonate  the  dusky  goblins  with  whom  we 
were  made  familiar  in  our  very  early  days.  But  their  chief  ex- 
cellence consisted  in  the  amazing  distances  they  could  bound. 
Fixing  a  rough  spring-board  in  the  ground,  they  would  run  and 
jump  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  into  the  air  and  alight  without  the 
slightest  shock.  Presently  a  couple  of  camels  were  brought  up, 
whereupon  one  savage  after  another  ran  and  threw  somersaults 
over  the  camels,  humps  and  all,  coming  down  on  the  other  side 
as  lightly  as  a  feather.  Then  an  elephant  of  the  largest  size 
was  placed  in  position  for  a  similar  purpose,  and  at  the  first 
attempt  a  man  bounded  comfortably  into  the  howdah  on  the 
top  of  the  animal's  back.  But  the  success  was  only  momentary, 
for  the  huge  creature  lifted  up  his  trunk,  trumpeted  with 
all  his  might,  and  then  ran  away,  utterly  declining  to  come  near 
that  spring-board  any  more.  Another  large  elephant  was  pro- 
cured, but  with  similar  results.  Every  time  the  athlete  took  a 
run  the  sagacious  animal  would  turn  round  and  hold  out  his 
trunk  in  a  threatening  manner,  blinking  his  little  eyes  and 
snorting  in  so  defiant  a  fashion,  that,  after  some  vain  attempts 
at  blindfolding  him,  the  experiment  was  given  up,  and  way  was 
made  for  less  manly  sports. 

I  have  already  described  to  you  cheetah-hunting  as  practised 
vn  Baroda.  It  is  not  an  economical  way  of  chasing  deer,  and  I 
do  not  know  that  it  is  a  very  refined  class  of  sport.  But  it  is 
very  seldom  the  cheetah  succeeds  in  catching  his  prey ;  so  that 
the  spectacle  of  a  savage  beast  tearing  the  neck  of  a  handsome 
deer  is  not  often  afforded.  The  Maharajah  of  Cashmere  was, 
however,  quite  determined  that  there  should  be  no  lack  of 
amusement  in  that  direction,  and  the  way  he  managed  it  was 
this.  The  spectators,  including  the  athletes  and  the  Baltis, 
■•yere  requested  to  form  a  wide-spreading  circle,  embracing, 


Z76  WITH  THE  PEINCE   IN  INDIA. 

perhaps,  two  acres  of  ground.     Of  horsemen,  ladies,  officers, 
gentlemen,  and  natives,  there  were  sufficient  to  do  so ;  and,  all 
being  now  in  readiness,  the  deer  which  we  saw  lying  on  the 
ground  an  hour  before  were  carried  by  their  legs  to  the  centre 
of  the  ground,  and  deposited  there.    Similarly,  though  with  the 
greatest  possible  care,  a  cheetah  was  brought  up  to  the  dais, 
patted,  caressed  by  its  keepers,  and  admired  by  the  visitors. 
At  length  one  of  the  deer,  a  splendid  black  buck,  was  released 
and  urged  to  run.     Poor  beast,   his  numbed  limbs  and  dazed 
eyes  scarcely  admitted  of  a  great  deal  of  motion,  and  it  was 
really  some  time  before  he  could  understand  what  was  required 
of  him.     But  when  at  last  the  struggling  cheetah  was  held  near 
him,  he  did  comprehend  that  he  was  expected  to  do  something, 
and  accordingly  began  a  slow  trot  towards  the  left-hand  side  of 
the  dais.     He  might,  perhaps,  have  gone  about  two  hundred 
yards  when  the  leopard  was  let  slip,  and  there  is  little  doubt 
he  would  have  been  caught  at  once  but  for  the  timely  inter- 
position of  a  little  dog,  which  at  that  particular  moment  got  in 
the  way.     Now,  I  believe  a  cheetah  likes  dog-flesh  as  much  as 
venison,  especially  when  there  is  less  trouble  in  getting  the 
former  than  the  latter,  and  the  unlucky  puppy  was  chased  with- 
out loss  of  time.     But  it  was  all  to  no  purpose  :  the  terrier  was 
too  smart  for  the  heavier  brute,  and  after  a  little  running  in  a 
circle  the  pursuer  gave  up  the  attempt.     All  this  while  the 
wretched  buck  had  been  looking  for  some  loophole  to  escape. 
He  might  as  well  have  tried  to  fly  to  the  clouds.     And  as  ill- 
luck  would  have  it,  at  that  very  moment  when  the  cheetah  had 
crouched  down  in  the  grass,  chagrined  at  losing  the  dog,  the 
buck,  endeavouring  still  to  find  an  opening  in  the  crowd,  came 
within  a  yard  of  him.     Then  the  fierce  creature  sprang  up  and 
was  after  him.     Round  they  went,  the  one  striving  for  life,  the 
other  for  blood.     In  terror  the  deer  ran  to  the  side  of  the  circle, 
hoping  perhaps  to  leap  it  and  get  away,  but  without  effect. 
Slowly  the  cheetah  came  up  with  his  prey,  although  the  buck, 


SPORT  IN  CASHMERE.  277 

now  frantic  with  fright,  skirted  the  little  circle  inside  the  crowd 
with  wonderful  celerity,  till  at  last  the  leopard  succeeded  in 
springing  upon  the  hindquarters,  entwining  its  forelegs  round 
its  victim's  loins.  Then  followed  the  most  sickening  scene 
I  have  ever  witnessed.  The  Prince  and  his  suite,  though 
they  loved  sport,  murmured  with  vexation  as  the  gasping 
terrified  deer  struggled  and  groaned  so  loudly  that  its  pitiful 
cries  might  be  heard  by  everyone  present.  Slowly  the  cheetah 
climbed  on  its  back,  though  at  one  moment  there  was  some 
hope  that  the  beautiful  creature  would  escape  ;  for  the  former, 
somehow  or  other,  failed  to  fasten  its  fangs  in  the  buck's  neck 
at  first,  and  the  two  rolled  on  the  ground  together.  I  will 
do  the  crowd — that  semi-fashionable,  semisavage  crowd — 
the  justice  to  say  that  I  believe  if  the  buck  had  got  clear  this 
time  they  would  have  opened  to  let  it  pass.  But  this  fit  of 
mercy  came  too  late.  The  strength  of  the  deer  was  failing 
fast — another  plunge,  another  roll,  another  loud  groan  and 
cry,  and  then  the  end  came.  The  cheetah's  teeth  pierced  the 
neck  of  the  overpowered  buck,  there  was  a  tearing  noise, 
a  final  struggle,  and  then  the  bloodthirsty  beast  was  seen  suck- 
ing away  the  life  of  its  motionless  victim.  It  may  be  said  that 
at  one  point,  namely,  on  the  extreme  left  of  the  dais,  there  was 
an  open  passage  through  which  the  deer  might  have  passed,  and 
perhaps  did  go  at  first ;  but  behind  this  there  was  a  strong  line 
of  beaters,  and  the  fact  that  the  buck  was  driven  back  into  the 
circle  is  sufficient  proof  of  its  inability  to  escape.  The  next 
amusement  was  the  production  of  some  lynxes  and  a  jackal. 
This  did  not  end  satisfactorily,  according  to  Cashmere  ideas. 
The  first  lynx,  on  being  let  loose,  absolutely  fraternised  with 
what  should  have  been  its  prey,  by  rubbing  its  nose  against 
that  of  the  jackal,  afterwards  quietly  trotting  back  again  to  its 
keeper;  and,  by  the  time  that  the  second  lynx  was  let  loose, 
the  jackal  having  found  an  opening  in  the  crowd,  made  pur- 
posely, I  fancy,  by  some  of  those  who  did  not  care  for  the  spec- 


278  WITH  THE  PBINCB   IN  INDIA. 

tacle  of  death,  trotted  off  too,  thinking,  probably,  that  there 
was  really  nothing  of  interest  to  wait  for.  This  was  somewhat 
discouraging,  and  so  a  plump  hare  was  held  forthwith  to  the 
noses  of  the  lynxes,  and  then  untied  and  set  free.  But  the 
little  animal  also  got  away,  for  the  lynxes  were  anything  but 
hungry,  and  as  sport  seemed  to  be  on  the  wane,  a  couple  of 
falcons  were  sent  in  pursuit,  which,  after  several  swoops,  suc- 
ceeded in  killing  him.  It  was  an  open  plain,  there  was  no 
cover  very  near,  and  the  terrible  birds  soon  disposed  of  their 
chase.  This  ended  the  "  fun."  The  guests  and  the  Maharajah 
entered  their  carriages,  and  we  galloped  in  the  rear  towards 
Jummoo  the  magnificent. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  there  was  a  lack  of  objects  of 
rational  interest  in  Jummoo.  On  the  contrary,  the  capital  of 
Cashmere  is  perhaps  more  deserving  of  a  visit  than  any  other 
place  the  Royal  party  has  been  to,  not  even  excepting  Kandy 
or  Benares.  We  were  altogether  in  a  new  world,  to  which  the 
habits  and  customs  of  Europeans  had  not  extended.  We  saw 
the  Asiatic  in  his  own  home,  untrammelled  by  the  laws  of 
more  modernised  races.  In  fact,  a  party  of  those  attached  to 
his  Royal  Highness,  discovered,  in  the  course  of  a  short  morn- 
ing's tour,  some  of  the  strangest  religious  curiosities  of  Asia. 
Our  principal  object  in  setting  out  was  to  witness  the  Lamas  or 
Thibetan  Buddhist  priests.  The  yellow-robed  ecclesiastics  of 
Kandy  had  told  us  when  in  Ceylon  that  the  Thibetan  fraternity 
differed  only  from  them  in  the  colour  of  the  dress  they  wore. 
We  were  desirous  of  judging  for  ourselves,  and  our  obser- 
vations led  to  the  following  conclusions :  that  in  almost  every 
particular  the  Ceylon  and  Asiatic  Buddhists  differ  essentially ; 
that  while  the  former  wear  yellow  robes  and  wash  frequently, 
the  latter  seldom  or  never  divest  themselves  of  their  dingy  red 
habits,  and  certainly  do  not  use  water  at  all.  One  amiable  old 
gentleman,  whose  grimy  face,  long  matted  hair,  excessively 
objectionable  cap  and  cloak,  told  their  own  tale,  owned  that  he 


SPORT  IN  CASHMERE.  279 

had  never  taken  off  his  gown  since  first  he  adopted  it,  now 
many  years  ago.  "Why  should  he?"  he  asked  of  an  interro- 
gator. Whereupon  somebody  suggested  that  a  plunge  in  the 
Tow  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  might  be  advisable.  To  which  the 
holy  man  replied  by  a  simple,  artless  smile,  which  indicated 
doubt  and  unwillingness  combined.  The  priests  of  the  South 
performed  their  devotions  almost  silently,  those  of  the  North 
made  as  much  noise  as  possible.  There  was  no  idol  on  the 
Buddhist  altar  in  Ceylon,  certainly  no  objectionable  pictures 
were  there,  and  I  did  not  remark  any  oblation  beyond  a  quan- 
tity of  flowers  and  some  coin  of  the  realm.  But  in  the  North 
there  were  idols  in  plenty.  There  was  also  a  work  of  art,  to 
say  the  least,  out  of  harmony  with  English  tastes,  and  certainly 
with  our  ideas  of  sacred  propriety,  and  there  was  "  food  for  the 
gods  "  enough  to  feed  all  the  religious  men  who  sat  round  the 
altar.  The  whole  business,  too,  was  different.  Our  first  inter- 
view with  the  Lamas  was  a  somewhat  curious  one.  Guided  by 
the  sound  of  brass  instruments,  cymbals,  clappers,  tom-toms, 
and  whistles,  we  climbed  up  the  side  of  a  dilapidated  house  by 
means  of  some  old  boarding,  and  so  reached  the  roof,  where, 
seated  in  a  tent  open  at  the  end,  were  ten  burly  priests  pro- 
ceeding with  their  devotions.  The  picture  referred  to  hung 
opposite  the  entrance ;  and  before  it  were  piles  of  sweetmeats, 
brass  cups  full  of  oil,  corn,  grain,  and  flour,  an  idol;  an  inde- 
scribable instrument  on  a  stand,  a  lighted  lamp,  and  some  pieces 
of  gold  cloth.  Squatted  on  their  haunches,  these  ten  gentlemen 
were  singing  and  playing,  one  amongst  them  having  the  words 
of  the  song  before  him  and  leading  the  melody.  How  dreadful 
the  din  was  which  they  made  I  cannot  describe ;  until  you  have 
heard  the  Lamas  sing  you  can  have  no  idea  of  their  powers. 
To  one  a  most  important  task  was  committed — the  turning  of 
the  praying-wheel,  an  apparatus  unknown  to  the  Cingalese — 
and  the  way  in  which  he  whirled  round  the  rattling  machine 
showed  him  to  be  a  great  adept  in  the  sacred  art. 


280  WITH   TEE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

Passing  from  the  midst  of  these  devotional  people,  we  went 
on  to  the  chief  Hindoo  temple  of  Jummoo,  just  at  the  moment 
when  the  doors  were  being  opened  for  the  faithful.  An  attempt 
to  enter  was  at  first  vigorously  opposed  by  some  Fakeers,  who 
hurried  up  with  their  dismal  countenances,  and  insisted  on  our 
taking  our  boots  off.  To  this  we  objected,  and  as  a  result  we 
were  followed  by  a  hostile  crowd  to  the  doorway,  over  which 
we  did  not  attempt  to  pass,  for  the  whole  temple  was  visible 
from  the  entrance.  The  principal  idol  was  Vishnu,  who  was 
bedecked  with  a  golden  robe  and  wore  a  Pope's  mitre.  On  his 
right  hand  was  a  goddess  wearing  a  mitre  also,  while  on  his  left 
sat  another  female  divinity,  who  had  apparently  not  risen  to 
the  dignity  of  a  head-dress,  and  was,  in  consequence,  obliged  to 
do  without  one.  There  was  nothing  of  importance  to  see 
beyond  this,  so  we  went  away,  and  as  we  did  so  a  very  consci- 
entious person  took  a  bowl  of  water,  and  sprinkling  the  steps 
on  which  we  had  stood,  washed  ayay  the  defilement  which  the 
stone  had  contracted  from  our  infidel  feet.  The  next  evening 
the  Lamas  danced  before  the  Prince,  and  the  Hindoo  priests 
passed  his  Royal  Highness  in  procession.  Space  forbids  my 
attempting  to  describe  the  State  dinner,  at  which  the  Prince 
presided — the  Maharajah,  as  a  good  Hindoo,  studiously  keeping 
out  of  sight — or  of  the  Nautch  dance  which  followed.  Nor  can 
I  give  more  than  passing  mention  of  the  fact  that,  after  two 
days'  stay  at  Jummoo,  his  Royal  Highness  departed  in  similar 
fashion  to  that  in  which  he  arrived,  and  on  his  way  back  to  the 
North-west  breakfasted  with  the  English  officers  at  Sealkote, 
opened  a  bridge  at  Wuzirabad,  driving  in  with  some  ceremony 
a  silver  rivet  with  a  golden  hammer ;  attended  a  native  fete  at 
Lahore,  and  the  next  day  paid  a  visit  to  Umritzur  and  its 
golden  temple. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

akbar's  capital. 

The  Prince  was  well  received  in  the  city  of  Agra.  It  is 
worth  narrating  how  the  descendants  of  the  Mussulmans  and 
the  sons  of  Timour  the  Tartar  met  the  Shahazada,  and  after 
what  fashion  they  saluted  him. 

The  records  of  distant  ages  are  dim.  Little  is  known  of  the 
gentlemen  who  one  after  another  ruled  this  favoured  spot. 
Not  that  we  are  wholly  ignorant  of  their  eccentricities  and 
playfulness.  Pleasant  stories,  conserved  in  marble,  tell  their 
own  tale  of  amusements  and  pastimes  in  which  a  Henry  the 
Eighth  would  have  revelled.  But  what  was  their  manner  in 
regard  to  the  more  solemn  acts  of  life,  history  fails  to  narrate. 
I  mean  by  solemn  acts  the  reception  of  some  friendly  monarch, 
some  neighbouring  king.  Yet  I  do  not  refer  exactly  to  the 
actual  durbars,  the  presents,  the  pleasant  words  of  welcome, 
but  to  what  occurred  before  the  potential  visitors  arrived. 
Take,  for  instance,  the  reception  of  Ali  Merdan  by  Shah  Jehan. 
Did  the  Monarch  of  Akberabad  issue  fresh  regulations  every 
twenty-four  hours  for  a  fortnight  before  the  great  Persian 
arrived  1  Did  he  sit  on  his  peacock  throne  in  the  palace  and 
rehearse  the  smiles  and  the  bows  he  intended  to  make  1  Did 
he  make  the  elephants  learn  their  parts,  and  have  the  camels 
put  through  their  facings  %  I  think  he  must  have  done  some- 
thing of  the  sort,  for  at  Agra  there  was  a  love  of  rehearsal 
which  cannot  be  found  anywhere  else,  and  it  must  have 
descended  from  somebody  or  other. 

Having  witnessed  the  preparations  for  the  Prince  all  over 
the  peninsula,  I  can  say  with  some  certainty  that  nothing  like 

18 


282  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

the  arrangements  at  Agra  were  witnessed  elsewhere.  At  Bom- 
bay, Colombo,  Madras,  and  Calcutta  they  discussed  and 
diverged,  issued  edicts  and  cancelled  them,  set  up  arches  and 
pulled  them  down  again,  gave  orders  and  rescinded  them,  and 
very  generally  worried  themselves  and  everybody  else  to  the 
verge  of  insanity;  but  that  was  all.  I  do  not  believe  the 
priests  of  the  Temple  at  Kandy  had  a  full  dress  rehearsal  with 
the  exhibition  of  Buddha's  tooth ;  the  gentleman  who  read  the 
address  at  Madras  had  got  it  all  off  by  heart ;  but  I  am  sure 
that  the  managers  of  the  Bankapore  entertainment  were  not 
clear  as  to  what  would  be  done.  Even  at  Lahore  there  was  a 
pleasant  uncertainty  up  to  the  last  moment,  and,  indeed,  even 
then ;  but  at  Agra  nothing  of  the  sort  existed.  All  had  been 
arranged  to  work  like  a  clock.  For  a  week  before  the  Prince 
arrived  everybody  had  been  placed  in  full  review  order.  The 
soldiers  had  lined  the  roads,  their  bands  had  taken  up  their 
positions,  the  gharry  drivers  had  been  thrust  into  fields  and 
out-of-the-way  places,  and  the  public  had  been  hustled  and 
pushed,  penned  up,  and  belaboured  with  all  the  energy  incident 
to  an  actual  festival.  The  elephants  had  been  marshalled  out- 
side the  railway  station  gates ;  their  drivers  had  kicked  and 
yelled,  and  beaten  the  animals,  just  as  it  was  desirable  they 
should  do  when  the  grand  day  came ;  the  trees  of  the  gardens 
of  the  Taj  had  been  partially  illuminated ;  even  to  the  ball,  a 
battalion  of  Sepoys  had  been  desjmtched  "  to  see  how  six  hun- 
dred people  would  look,"  as  an  official  explained.  The  only 
thing  which  appears  to  have  been  left  out  of  the  rehearsal  pro- 
gramme was  an  experimental  supper.  And  all  this  was  easily 
achieved  in  a  happy  community  in  which  everybody  knows  his 
place,  where  a  colonel  would  not  dream  of  offering  his  arm  to  a 
general's  wife,  where  the  exact  position  of  a  commissioner  at 
table  is  defined,  where  assistant  magistrates  are  held  to  be  the 
exact  equals  of  captains,  and  settlement  officers  are  looked  down 
upon  by  district  judges.     The  only  thing  to  be  taken  for  granted 


AKBAR'S  CAPITAL.  283 

was  that  everybody  who  knew  his  place  and  his  work  did 
according  to  his  lights,  and  thus,  of  course,  Agra  must  "receive" 
like  clockwork. 

At  length,  however,  the  expected  day  arrived,  and  the  city 
went  out  to  meet  the  Queen's  son.  The  hour  of  entry  was  fixed 
for  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon ;  everybody  was  in  position  by 
one.  And  lest,  after  all,  somebody  should  have  forgotten  his 
lesson,  the  parts  were  all  rehearsed  again.  The  elephants — 
there  were  nearly  a  hundred  of  them — were  placed  in  line, 
formed  into  column,  and  then  marched  back  again.  The  Sepoys 
were  brought  to  their  places,  and  drilled  on  the  spot  with  un- 
relenting energy.  The  Bengal  Cavalry  passed  and  repassed 
over  the  ground  till  the  faces  of  the  riders  were  recognized  by 
the  crowd,  and  the  people  in  their  starchy  gowns  and  their  big 
turbans  were  ;-  regulated  "  for  three  hours  without  any  regard 
for  exhaustion  on  the  part  of  their  active  preceptors. 

There  was  one  thing,  however,  which  refused  to  be  bound 
down  by  the  programme,  and,  accordingly,  sadly  bothered 
the  manager  of  the  entertainment.  We  were  all,  as  I 
have  said,  in  our  places;  the  police*  had  got  every  wheel 
of  the  city  mechanism  into  working  order ;  the  native  music- 
ians, on  native-made  platforms  of  extraordinary  description, 
were  tom-toming  to  their  hearts'  content,  in  accordance  with 
rules  laid  down,  when — whew  ! — a  whirlwind  sprang  up  and 
nearly  choked  us  all.  It  came  over  the  arid  plains  by  the 
riverside,  over  the  dry  sandy  bed  of  the  river  itself,  down  the 
roads  and  through  the  gardens,  stirring  up  the  dust  in  great 
clouds,  and  plunging  it  into  our  very  midst,  till  no  one  could 
see  across  the  road,  and  even  the  gentleman  who  had  to  read 
the  address  was  nearly  choked.  It  was  all  to  no  avail  that 
the  police  waved  their  staves,  and  the  inspectors  galloped  about. 
The  wind  would  not  be  still.  It  whirled  the  surface  of  the 
plain  into  the  streets  and  into  the  station  itself;  it  snatched 
away  umbrellas,  and  tore  down  awnings ;  it  hid  officers  from 


284  WITH  THE   rBINCE  IN   INDIA. 

their  men,  and  the  public  from  the  constables ;  and  it  kept  up 
this  merry  game  with  the  officials  of  Agra  till  the  Prince  had 
entered  and  reached  his  destination. 

I  have  mentioned  native  music-stands.  They  were  certainly, 
till  the  dust-storm  came,  well  worth  looking  at.  Have  you  ever 
taken  part  in  a  wedding  festival  in  the  North- West  1  If  so, 
you  will  remember  that,  as  aids  to  the  splendour  of  the  proces- 
sion, figures  of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  of  great  artistic  beauty, 
are  often  borne  aloft.  It  is  not  in  the  exact  similitude  to  nature 
that  the  charms  of  these  images  lie.  On  the  contrary,  it  is 
generally  the  practice  to  portray  humanity  not  as  it  is,  but  as 
the  Hindoo  artist  thinks  it  should  be.  Consequently  there  is 
that  pleasing  divergence  from  sameness  which  we  call  variety 

a  result  exceedingly  pleasant  to  the   native   mind.     What 

matters  it  indeed  if  a  gentleman  is  represented  with  four  arms 
instead  of  two  ?  Why  should  we  always  be  bound  down  to  one 
nose  or  one  head  1  There  was  a  really  admirable  lady  dressed 
in  silver,  and  presumably  stuffed  with  straw,  whose  head  had 
four  mouths,  eight  eyes,  four  noses,  and  two  very  fine  ears. 
She  was  placed  at  one*  end  of  a  decorated  platform,  whilst  at 
the  other  a  gentleman  wearing  a  red  elephant's  trunk  kept 
watch  and  ward.  Between  them  were  squatted  all  the  friends 
and  acquaintances  of  a  wealthy  Hindoo,  all  of  them  waiting 
to  welcome  the  Prince.  They  had  brought  with  them  musicians 
also,  celebrated  players  upon  the  cymbals  and  bones,  noted 
performers  on  the  tom-tom  and  reed  whistle,  some  friends  who 
knew  how  to  blow  great  brass  horns,  and  a  couple  of  dancing 
ladies,  who  jumped  about  to  the  sound  of  the  music  as  long  as 
they  could.  Nor  were  they  at  all  alone  in  their  glory ;  there 
were,  indeed,  ever  so  many  of  these  musical  stands  along  the 
line  of  route.  Happy  were  we  to  whose  ears  the  sound  of  the 
sackbut  and  lute  never  reached ;  happy  we  who  could  see  the 
energetic  gentlemen  with  the  cymbals,  but  could  not  hear  them. 
Happier  still,  however,  were  the  owners  of  the  stands  them- 


AKBAJP8  CAPITAL.  285 

selves  as  they  sat,  with  clasped  hands  and  radiant  faces,  in  the 
very  centre  of  all  the  din,  proud  of  themselves,  proud  of  their 
friends,  but  prouder  still  of  the  noise  they  were  making. 

But  this  was  not  the  only  special  feature  of  the  reception. 
The  arrangement  of  the  Europeans  was  very  picturesque.  Tri- 
bunes rising  from  the  ground  tier  above  tier  were  apportioned  to 
the  visitors  who  had  flocked  into  Agra,  and  ladies  in  bright 
dresses,  and  gentlemen  in  brilliant  uniforms,  filled  the  seats  in 
anticipation  of  events.  All  was,  indeed,  arranged  for  an  exceed- 
ingly pretty  spectacle,  when  the  wind  rose,  and  the  dust  came 
on.  The  elephants  were  splendidly  painted  and  caparisoned ; 
thirty  Rajahs  and  chieftains  were  in  their  gold  and  silver 
howdahs  at  the  station ;  there  were  retainers  with  the  very 
funniest  headgear,  and  some  with  no  headgear  at  all ;  there 
were  soldiers  who  carried  matchlocks  and  warriors  who  clutched 
javelins  and  pistols;  the  bands  were  ready;  the  address  was 
there — when  the  whirlwind  came  on.  And  so  it  chanced  that, 
after  all,  the  reception  at  Agra  lost  much  of  its  beauty.  Let 
it  not  be  supposed  that  we  saw  nothing;  on  the  contrary, 
between  the  dust  clouds  we  caught  a  good  view  occasionally  of 
Lord  Charles  Beresford's  elephant  behaving  contumeliously,  of 
the  Prince  holding  to  the  howdah  with  one  hand  and  bowing 
with  the  other,  of  Lord  Aylesford  and  Lord  Alfred  Paget 
abreast  on  gigantic  animals,  and  a  crowd  of  Rajahs  in  the  rear. 
But  who  could  enjoy  the  scene  ?  We  had  just  fixed  our  binocu- 
lars for  a  good  gaze  at  the  features  and  dress  of  the  youthful 
Rajah  of  Dholepore  when  a  blast  of  wind  obscured  him  from 
view,  and  the  next  potentate  we  saw  was  the  Rajah  of  Chickari 
or  the  Jaghidar  of  Alipuia,  of  the  existence  of  whom  we  were 
to  that  moment  profoundly  ignorant.  But  vexation  was  all  to 
no  purpose.  The  wind  cared  not  a  jot  for  the  rage  of  specta- 
tors or  the  mortification  of  the  simple-minded  ones  who  wished 
to  be  seen  in  the  procession ;  and  we  were  glad  at  last  to  take 
shelter  in  our  carriages,  and  drive  away  home  as  fast  as  fright- 


286  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

ened  horses,  bad  drivers,  an  uncertain  road,  and  coming  dark- 
ness would  allow.  Besides  which,  there  was  an  entertainment 
in  the  evening,  to  which  the  police  "  invited  "  early  attendance, 
and  hence  our  exertion. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

A  TOMB  AND  A  TOWER. 

It  is,  after  all,  very  questionable  whether  even  a  comet 
obtains  a  satisfactory  view  of  the  universe.  Its  journey  is 
extended,  but  it  is  too  rapid ;  there  is  too  much  to  be  seen  for  a 
flying  inspection  to  suffice.  Perhaps  the  Prince  thought  this 
as  he  quitted  Agra,  for  he  determined  on  visiting  the  Taj 
Mehal  twice,  and  the  second  time  by  moonlight. 

In  an  Indian  clime,  at  this  season  of  the  year,  there  was  no 
need  to  consult  the  weather.  Clouds  may  be  left  entirely  out 
of  consideration  ;  if  the  moon  was  there  we  were  sure  to  see  it. 
She  was  visible  when  we  arrived  at  Agra — a  fine  full  one,  too 
— lighting  up  the  landscape  with  a  brilliancy  of  which  you  in 
England,  and  even  the  dwellers  at  Borne,  know  nothing.  Per- 
chance it  may  have  occurred  to  you  in  time  gone  by  to  roam 
inside  the  Coliseum  when  the  moon's  rays  broke  through  the 
ruins  and  lit  up  the  place  with  a  ghastly  glare.  The  seleno- 
graph  imprinted  on  your  memory  at  such  time  may  still  appear 
to  you  the  most  beautiful  picture  you  ever  saw.  But  those 
Boman  beams  had,  after  all,  to  penetrate  through  the  mists  of 
the  Boman  marshes,  and,  though  unknown,  parted  with  some 
of  their  finest  rays,  as  they  swept  the  damp  air  away.  The 
moon  at  Agra  had  no  such  trouble.  Unimpeded  by  watery 
particles,  it  shot  through  the  clear,  crisp,  atmosphere  a  flood  of 
such  brilliant  light,  that  the  marble  of  the  Taj  became  ethereal- 
ised,  and  to  the  wondering  spectator  looked  as  though  it  would 
suddenly  rise  up  and  fly  off.  It  was  a  singular  sight  to  look 
through  the  grim  red  sandstone  gateway  and  watch  the  Boyal 
party  as  it  filed  along  the  marble  terrace- walk  which  leads  to 


288  WITH  THE  PllINCE  IN  INDIA. 

this  marvellous  tomb.  Fountains  were  playing;  the  music 
from  a  band  situated  nobody  seemed  to  know  where,  but  not 
far  off,  echoed  and  re-echoed  against  Taj  and  mosque ;  the  great 
cypress  trees  cast  their  dark  shadows  over  the  pathway,  and 
vandycked  it  with  sharply-defined  forms,  and  the  perfume  of 
innumerable  flowers  filled  the  air — it  was  an  entry  into  fairy- 
land. No  oil-lamps  disfigured  the  trees,  no  limelight  blinded 
the  vision ;  the  Taj  stood  unornamented  in  its  own  wonderful 
grandeur,  just  in  front  of  those  who  were  fortunate  enough 
to  visit  it.  As  we  approached,  a  glow  of  heat  was  felt  by 
everybody.  The  hot  sun  playing  upon  the  white  marble  all  day 
had  left  it  still  palpably  warm  to  the  touch,  and  even  now  at 
midnight  the  air  was  warm  with  the  unexhausted  caloric.  This 
was,  however,  no  drawback ;  for,  though  the  days  are  sultry, 
the  nights  are  piercingly  cold,  and  the  genial  temperature  was 
rather  to  be  courted  than  avoided.  Still  it  would  not  do  to 
stand  constantly  close  to  the  building. 

To  see  the  Taj  you  must  go  to  each  of  the  four  corners  of  the 
great  marble  platform  on  which  it  stands  and  note  its  huge 
spandrils  in  bold  relief,  the  jewelled  arches  as  they  are  illumined 
by  the  moon,  its  wondrous  dome  and  grand  minarets.  Indeed, 
it  is  necessary  to  go  up  on  those  very  minarets  in  order  that  the 
full  beauty  of  this  architectural  gem  may  the  better  be  seen, 
that  its  rich  landscape  setting  may  be  fully  appreciated,  that 
the  slow-flowing  Jumna  close  by  may  take  its  part  in  the 
picture,  and  that  the  sleeping  city  of  Agra,  its  fort  and  its 
temples,  may  also  have  their  place. 

To  me  it  was  a  source  of  much  gratification  that  I  had  spent 
some  hours  in  the  daytime  inspecting  the  grandest  of  all  build- 
ings in  the  world,  and  that  after  that  nothing  could  mar  the 
memory  of  its  great  beauty.  A  great  white  marble  tomb,  built 
after  the  similitude  of  a  Turkish  mosque,  its  walls  inlaid  with 
precious  stones,  its  front  inscribed  in  Arabic,  with  the  praises 
of  the  great  woman  in  whose  memory  it  was  written,  its  huge 


A  TOMB  AND  A   TOWER.  289 

white  dome  glistening  in  the  bright  sun,  the  tombs  below  and 
the  false  tombstones  above,  the  resting-places  of  Shah  Jehan 
and  his  lovely  wife — such  was  the  picture  I  saw.  Nothing  on 
earth  equals  it.  The  spandrils  may  not  be  in  proportion.  I 
believe  a  Scotsman  who  visited  it  at  the  same  time  I  did  proved 
successfully  to  another  Scotsman  that  one  of  the  arches  was  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  too  high  and  another  a  quarter  of  an  inch  too 
Vw.  I  am  aware  that  gentlemen  whose  knowledge  of  Eastern 
architecture  is  as  small  as  the  knowledge  of  critics  usually  is 
have  given  at  least  eight  satisfactory  reasons  why  the  Taj  must 
not  be  considered  perfection ;  but  I  do  not  care  a  bit.  I  love 
the  marvellous  screenwork  cut  from  white  marble,  which,  with 
its  eight  sides,  encloses  the  two  tombs.  To  me  the  resting  place 
of  the  First  Napoleon  in  the  Invalides  seemed  the  merest 
pretence  at  magnificence  when  I  had  looked  for  a  moment  into 
the  dim  vaults  below  ground  ;  and  when  I  was  led  to  the  top  of 
one  of  the  minarets,  and  gazed  down  upon  the  work  of  the 
great  Shah  Jehan,  thought  of  the  millions  of  money  expended 
in  its  completion,  of  the  thousands  of  workmen  who  toiled  here 
for  years,  of  the  sightless  crew  which  issued  from  yonder  gates 
when  the  top  stone  had  been  added,  and  the  decree  which  went 
forth  that  not  one  of  the  workmen  might  ever  see  again,  lest 
some  other  potentate,  jealous  and  envious,  might  essay  to  build 
a  structure  as  handsome  in  some  foreign  land — I  felt  that  here 
was  a  spectacle  for  the  Prince  worthy  the  fatigues  and  trials  of 
his  whole  journey.  One  fact  was  very  satisfactory — the  Joneses, 
Browns,  and  Robinsons  had  not  been  allowed  to  write  their 
names  or  carve  their  initials  on  the  tombs.  They  did,  in  days 
gone  by,  chip  out  the  precious  stones  when  nobody  was  watch- 
ing; but  now  they  cannot  do  even  that,  and  are  obliged  to 
leave  the  building  without  recording  their  visit  in  any  way. 
Peace,  disappointed  scribblers  !  it  is  one  of  the  few  places  your 
vagrant  pencil  has  not  desecrated. 

I  do  not  think  there  was  much  talking  that  night  as  we 


290  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

passed  from  point  to  point,  and  looked  again  and  again  at  the 
wondrous  building  which  the  Shah  Jehan  erected.  Hearts 
were  too  full  of  admiration  to  admit  of  frivolity  or  careless 
thought  j  we  were  gazing  upon  a  scene  the  like  of  which  we  had 
never  witnessed  before.  One  idea  seemed  common — that  to 
enjoy  a  trip  to  India  the  Taj  at  Agra  should  be  the  last  place 
seen.  Else  with  what  comfort  can  you  look  afterwards  upon 
the  inferior  resting-places  of  Akbar,  Adum  Khan,  Suftur  Jung? 
or  even  Humayon's  tomb1?  To  you,  as  an  exacting  and 
scrupulous  archaeologist,  the  sepulchre  of  the  Great  Mogul  at 
Secundra  may  afford  many  delights ;  the  purity  of  its  architec- 
ture will  please  your  eye  and  help  you  to  point  many  an  his- 
torical and  perhaps  useful  moral,  as  a  patriotic  Englishman. 
Again,  the  grave  of  Humayon  may  have  pleasant  memories,  in 
so  far  as  it  was  the  place  where  the  mutiny  received  its  final 
blow,  the  spot  where  the  scheming,  traitorous  old  King  of  Delhi 
was  led  away  into  captivity,  and  where  his  three  wicked  sons 
were  led  out  to  execution  by  the  gallant  Hodson.  But  after 
you  have  once  seen  the  Taj,  the  grandest  marble  domes,  the 
prettiest  Motee  Musjid  in  India — and  what  a  number  of  these 
pearl  mosques  there  are ! — sinks  into  insignificance.  You  re- 
gretfully turn  back  to  the  Taj,  and  its  beauty  overtops  them 
all. 

There  is  another  structure  of  great  grandeur,  but  it  is  wholly 
dissimilar  from  the  gem  of  Agra.  It  likewise  received  a  part- 
ing visit,  though  not  by  moonlight. 

Not  a  score  of  miles  from  Delhi  stands  a  high  tower,  the  top 
of  which  may  be  seen  from  any  part  of  a  circle  of  many  leagues. 
Who  built  it  and  why  it  was  constructed  no  one  can  tell.  Yet 
it  is  claimed  with  equal  force  by  both  Hindoo  and  Mussulman, 
who  both  have  some  dozens  of  reasons  to  show  that  to  their 
ancestors  belongs  the  honour  of  having  erected  the  highest  pillar 
in  the  world.  I  do  not,  however,  propose  to  solve  the  doubt, 
the  only  matter  of  importance  to  such  as  were  invited  to  visit 


A  TOMB  AND  A  TOWER.  291 

the  Kootub  being  that  it  belongs  just  now  to  the  English,  and 
is  an  exceedingly  pleasant  retreat  as  well  as  a  great  architec- 
tural marvel.  It  was  early  in  the  day  when,  in  well-appointed 
carriages,  we  found  ourselves  passing  through  the  Delhi  gate, 
and  so  along  the  road  which  goes  by  the  tombs  of  Humayon 
and  Suftur  Jung.  How  the  magnificence  and  squalor  of  the 
East  intermingled,  how  pariah  dogs  and  old  women  howled  for 
food  under  the  very  shadow  of  marble  domes,  curiously  inlaid 
and  sculptured  walls  \  how  mud  huts  surrounded  these  master- 
pieces of  art,  and  gilded  minarets  alternated  with  the  poorest 
of  straw  thatches,  need  scarcely  be  told.  A  couple  of  hours 
brought  us  into  the  gardens  of  the  Kootub,  under  the  shade  of 
the  trees  which  environ  it,  and  the  tent  which  had  been  erected 
for  the  refreshment  of  such  as  had  been  specially  favoured. 

'  It  was  not  without  some  satisfaction  that  we  learned  our 
proximity  to  the  very  centre  of  the  world.  There  could  be  no 
doubt  at  all  about  it,  for  a  large  number  of  the  very  holiest 
men  to  be  found  in  this  part  of  India,  whose  word  could  not  by 
any  possibility  be  doubted,  consulted  their  most  trustworthy 
oracles  ever  so  many  years  ago,  and  placed  the  matter  at  once 
beyond  a  question.  In  those  days  there  lived  the  Rajah  of 
Prithie,  who,  being  somewhat  anxious  to  remain  King  of  Delhi 
as  long  as  possible,  and  leave  the  throne  in  the  family  of  which 
he  was  at  once  the  head  and  principal  ornament,  called  round 
him  the  most  pious  Brahmins  whose  acquaintance  he  had  had 
the  honour  to  make.  I  do  not  know  what  form  the  fete  to 
which  he  invited  them  took ;  but  from  what  I  have  seen  of 
holy  men  of  late  I  should  infer  that  a  feast  was  at  least  one 
part  of  the  entertainment,  and  that  the  exhibition  of  some  of 
the  coin  of  the  realm  was  another.  Any  way,  they  appear  to 
have  been  satisfied,  for,  on  his  presently  asking  them  what  he 
had  better  do  to  obtain  a  permanent  seat  on  the  somewhat  shaky 
throne,  they  at  once  put  him  into  possession  of  a  most  valuable 
secret.     Just  under  the  piece  of  ground  on  which  they  were 


292  WITH  THE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

sitting  was  the  head  of  the  serpent  which  supported  the  world ; 
there  could  be  no  mistake  about  it ;  they  knew  it  for  certain ; 
and  if  the  Hajah  of  Prithie  would  only  make  a  long  iron  pillar 
and  drive  it  into  the  earth  in  such  a  way  as  to  transfix  the 
head  af  that  recondite  snake,  he  would  reign  forever  and  a  day 
and  his  children  after  him.  How  he  made  the  pillar,  how 
they  had  another  great  feast,  how  the  iron  was  driven  into  the 
ground  and  actually  caught  the  serpent  exactly  in  the  very 
centre  of  his  head  and  transfixed  him,  may  easily  be  im- 
agined. The  only  regrettable  circumstance  is  that  the  Rajah 
was  not  satisfied  when  the  Brahmins  told  him  all  was  right. 
He  wanted  to  make  sure  for  himself,  and  would  by  no  means 
be  convinced  by  those  pious  men — in  fact,  he  was  determined 
to  have  personal  evidence  that  the  snake  was  caught.  So,  like 
another  misguided  gentleman  who  killed  the  goose  that  laid  the 
golden  eggs,  he  pulled  the  pillar  up  when,  to  his  astonishment, 
the  end  was  found  to  be  covered  with  blood ;  proof  positive  that 
the  Brahmins  had  been  right  after  all.  But,  although  he  had 
put  the  iron  in  the  right  place  at  first,  it  by  no  means  followed 
that  even  a  Bajah  could  catch  the  serpent  twice.  Thus  it 
happened  that,  the  next  time,  the  animal  got  away ;  and,  sad 
to  relate,  the  Rajah  of  Prithie  very  shortly  afterwards  was  up- 
set by  an  enemy,  and  lost  not  only  his  throne,  but  his  eyes, 
ears,  and  head  into  the  bargain.  Still,  a  venerable  old  gentle- 
man, who  was  making  a  chupatty  close  by,  informed  me  that 
there  is  no  doubt  the  pillar  extends  many  hundred  feet  into  the 
earth,  and  is  within  an  inch  or  go  of  the  centre  after  all.  I 
did  not  think  it  necessary  to  tell  him  that  General  Cunningham 
some  years  bored  the  ground  close  by  it,  and  found  the  end  of 
the  pillar  was  only  fourteen  feet  below  the  surface — he  would 
have  disbelieved  me,  and  worshipped  it  all  the  same.  What 
was  infinitely  more  unpleasant  to  him  was  my  refusal  to  con- 
tribute to  the  support  of  the  shrine  of  which  he  was  the  presid- 
ing genius. 


A   TOMB  AND  A   TOWER.  293 

Not  far  distant  from  the  tower  is  a  wonderful  well,  and  thither 
we  were  taken.  Constructed  in  the  shape  of  a  tank,  about  30 
feet  square,  and  about  120  feet  deep,  this  well  contains  generally 
about  40  feet  of  water.  For  drinking  purposes  the  spring  is, 
doubtless,  valuable  ;  but  it  is  much  more  beloved  by  the  natives 
for  a  very  different  reason.  To  jump  from  the  top  down  into  the 
dark  pool  80  feet  below  would  apparently  be  certain  death ;  at 
any  rate,  on  looking  down  into  the  tank  you  would  not  easily  be- 
lieve that  the  spring  could  be  made  with  the  slightest  chance  of 
safety.  Yet  the  Hindoos  of  the  village  close  by  step  up,  and 
offer  to  make  the  attempt  for  a  very  small  present.  Indeed, 
before  you  can  say  yes  or  no,  a  dozen  men  and  boys  have 
stripped  off  all  save  the  smallest  possible  waistcloth,  and  are 
standing  on  the  edge  of  the  well  ready  to  jump.  A  moment 
later,  and  an  aged  savage  has  taken  the  leap.  For  the  first  fifty 
feet  his  arms  are  extended  wide  and  his  legs  are  far  apart,  but 
just  then  he  clasps  his  ankles  together,  brings  his  hands  close 
to  his  sides,  and,  striking  the  water  with  a  fearful  crash,  dis- 
appears. It  is  but  for  an  instant,  however ;  out  of  the  inky 
depths  comes  that  old  grey  head,  and  you  see  the  man  is  swim- 
ming towards  the  wall,  and  that  he  intends  to  climb  up  the 
side  of  the  tank  to  a  hole  about  twelve  feet  above  him,  through 
which  he  can  creep  into  an  adjoining  reservoir,  and  so  come  to 
earth  again.  He  is  scaling  the  wall,  when  a  little  lad  of  some 
ten  years  makes  the  fearful  spring.  For  a  moment  you  shudder 
involuntarily ;  for  the  little  waif  of  humanity  has,  to  all  ap- 
pearance, jumped  out  too  far,  and  is  in  danger  of  striking  some 
stonework.  But  no !  he  misses  the  rocky  points  by  about  a 
yard,  his  little  hands  and  feet  close  together  just  as  did  those 
of  his  predecessor,  and  he  falls  like  a  pebble  into  the  water. 
Will  he  come  up  again  1  You  wait  nearly  two  minutes,  and  no 
little  face  is  seen.  Can  he  be  drowned  ?  you  anxiously  ask. 
Is  it  possible  that  no  effort  will  be  made  to  save  him1?  You 
turn  round  and  look  eagerly  for  a  swimmer  to  jump  in  and  rescue 


294  WITH   THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

the  child  if  possible,  when  at  your  elbow  stands  the  naked, 
grinning  little  imp,  his  head  and  body  dripping  with  moisture.  It 
seems  that  under  the  surface  of  the  water  a  trap-door  communi- 
cating with  the  reservoir  in  similar  fashion  to  that  by  which 
the  old  man  climbed  out  is  found,  and  that  by  this  the  boy  has 
escaped  from  the  well ;  the  silence  of  the  men  at  the  top  being 
only  another  trick  to  arouse  the  sympathy  of  the  white  sahibs. 
After  this  they  jump  in  one  after  another  as  rapidly  as  possible, 
almost  falling  in  pell-mell  on  the  top  of  each  other,  as  though 
the  eighty-feet  spring  were  the  merest  bagatelle.  Round  they 
come  through  the  trap-doors  to  earth  again,  dripping,  steam- 
ing, shouting,  and  so  down  into  the  well  again ;  but  we  have 
had  enough  of  it.  Little  did  the  beneficent  constructor  of  that 
tank  think  what  use  it  would  be  turned  to  five  hundred  years 
later  on.  Fresh  clean  water,  indeed  !  To  what  better  purpose 
can  it  be  turned  than  as  a  means  of  getting  money  from  sight- 
seeing travellers  1 

Still,  the  Kootub  itself  was,  after  all,  the  object  of  our 
visit,  and  thither  we  bent  our  steps  very  soon  afterwards.  To 
reach  the  tower  it  was  necessary  to  go  through  a  City  of  the 
Dead,  a  great  space  covered  with  tombs,  which  were  erected 
many  hundred  years  ago,  and  have  now  fallen  into  decay.  It 
was  easy  to  see  how  beautiful  was  this  Mohammedan  cemetery 
when  Akbar  reigned  at  Delhi,  and  the  nobles  of  the  land  were 
buried  one  after  another  under  the  marble  domes  which  are  now 
crumbling  to  dust.  Then  the  trees,  of  which  one  now  only  finds 
the  thick,  leafless  stumps,  were  young  saplings;  the  broken  ground 
was  covered  with  flowers;  the  fountains,  of  which  only  the  remains 
are  left,  played  with  full  vigour;  and  what  is  now  a  desert  blos- 
somed as  the  rose.  Those  days  are  gone,  and  in  place  of  the  dead 
Mohammedan,  scores  of  squalid  Hindoos  and  pariah  dogs  inhabit 
the  tombs,  crouching  for  shelter  from  the  sun  in  the  summer,  and 
the  rains  in  the  wet  season,  behind  the  ruined  walls,  and  only 
emerging  to  beg  of  the  stranger  as  he  passes  by.    I  do  not 


A   TOMB  AND  A   TOWER.  295 

know  which  were  the  more  objectionable,  the  dogs  or  the  people- — 
all  were  so  utterly  loathsome  and  unclean.  Perhaps  the  animals 
were,  after  all,  most  bearable,  for  with  a  stick  or  stone  we  could 
frighten  them  away.  But  not  so  the  pestilent  crowd  of  human 
beings,  who  followed  close  upon  our  heels,  now  exhibiting  sores 
and  deformities,  sightless  eyes  and  useless  limbs,  and  now  cursing 
us  for  our  want  of  appreciation  and  sympathy.  I  am  afraid  that 
some  of  them  ultimately  got  encouragement  from  some  of  the 
younger  travellers,  who  forgot  that,  so  long  as  this  degraded 
tribe  can  obtain  alms,  they  will  refuse  to  work  for  a  livelihood. 

At  length,  the  foot  of  the  Kootub  was  reached,  a  tall  circular 
column  nearly  twice  the  height  of  the  Campanile  at  Venice,  and 
quite  as  large  round  as  that  square  pillar  which  all  the  travelled 
iirowns,  Robinsons,  and  Smiths  know  so  well,  and  which  bears 
their  honoured  names  wherever  the  space  to  write  a  word  could 
be  found.  Indeed  it  was  impossible  to  forget  Venice  all  the 
while  we  were  at  Delhi  or  Agra.  How  could  we  forget,  for 
instance,  that  famous  Bridge  of  Sighs  and  the  dark  passages 
below  where  the  old  nobles  passed  on  their  way  to  strangulation 
and  worse,  when,  following  a  torch-bearer,  we  explored  the 
foundations  of  Akbar's  Palace,  and  saw  the  well  in  which  he 
drowned  his  troublesome  wives,  and  the  dark  cells  into  which 
assassins  entered  in  the  dead  of.  the  night  and  perpetrated 
nameless  cruelties  upon  innocent  men  and  women  1  Was  it  not 
about  the  same  time,  too,  when  that  wicked  old  Council  of  Ten 
sent  despairing  victims  through  the  dismal  secret  door  which 
the  panels  hid  so  nicely,  that  Akbar  was  disposing  of  his 
enemies  in  those  dark  passages  of  Agra?  Akbar — Doges,  all 
are  gone ;  but  the  monuments  of  their  genius  and  the  memory 
of  their  crimes  live  after  them,  and  show  that  the  civilization  of 
Venice  and  the  barbarity  of  India  were  not  very  dissimilar, 
after  all. 

As  for  the  Kootub,  it  was  impossible  to  ascend  its  375  steep 
steps  without  being  amazed  at  the  untiring  energy  which  must 


296  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

have  been  employed  in  a  work  so  tremendous.  It  does  not 
reach  to  the  heavens,  as  did  the  Tower  of  Babel ;  yet  it  is 
twenty  times  as  high  as  another  pile,  which  was  intended  to  be 
a  rival,  and  was  actually  begun  some  few  yards  distant  from  it. 
Just  as  no  one  knows  who  raised  the  great  pillar  of  sandstone 
up  which  we  climb,  so  no  one  can  tell  who  began  the  rival  work 
which  ended  so  disastrously.  But  the  two  remain ;  the  grand 
column,  with  its  six  storeis,  its  ornamented  galleries,  its  count- 
less inscriptions,  its  wonderful  sculpture,  and,  close  by,  the 
ruined  abortive  attempt  at  building,  overgrown  with  moss  and 
rank  weeds — the  one  a  model  of  perseverance,  the  other  a  monu- 
ment of  unsuccessful  ambition.  But  there  is  little  time  for 
moralising,  the  steps  have  to  be  climbed,  till  at  last  we  stand  on 
the  little  platform  at  the  top,  scarcely  eig^t  feet  in  diameter,  and 
look  down  upon  the  country  below  Then  what  a  panorama 
bursts  into  view !  The  City  of  the  Dead  is  at  your  feet,  the 
city  of  the  living,  teeming,  crowded  Delhi,  only  fifteen  or  twenty 
miles  away ;  the  tomb  of  Humayon  apparently  so  close  that  you 
imagine  it  would  not  be  very  difficult  to  throw  a  stone  on  to  its 
marble  dome;  the  burying-place  of  Adum  Khan,  where  his 
widow  placed  his  remains  after  he  had  been  twice  thrown  from 
Delhi  battlements  by  the  order  of  the  Emperor ;  and  farther 
away  still,  the  camping  ground  of  that  gallant  army  which  held 
the  Bidge  in  those  famous  fights  when  Delhi  was  in  the  hands 
of  rebels,  and  the  fate  of  English  rule  in  India  hung  in  the 
balance.  How  full  of  food  for  historic  thought  was  every  inch 
of  that  remarkable  landscape  I 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

NATIVE   COURTS   AND    PRISONS. 

I  did  not  find  that  the  Prince  of  Wales  visited  a  court  of 
justice  during  his  stay  in  India.  His  Royal  Highness  conse- 
quently missed  a  spectacle  which  is  so  purely  Indian  in  its 
characteristics,  that  a  description  of  the  way  in  which  wrong 
is  set  right  and  right  is  maintained  in  the  country  districts  of 
the  Empire  should  be  given.  I  do  not  refer  to  the  higher 
courts,  over  which  Chief  Justices  or  Judges  preside.  There  the 
terror  to  evil-doers  is  pretty  much  the  same  sort  of  person  he 
is  at  home,  sits  in  a  robe,  and  if  he  does  not  wear  a  wig  has  at 
least  bands  round  the  neck,  and  the  look  of  a  lawyer  stamped 
on  his  face.  But  in  the  small  towns  and  villages  this  is  scarcely 
the  case. 

Justice  here  is  administered  by  collectors,  magistrates,  joint 
magistrates,  and  assistant  magistrates — a  goodly  array  of  young 
gentlemen  whose  knowledge  of  jurisprudence  is  mainly  derived 
from  the  occasional  perusal  of  a  kind  of  law  catechism  which  is 
supplied  by  the  Central  Government.  This  is  by  no  means 
their  fault;  they  come  out  to  the  country  as  civil  servants, 
after  passing  a  somewhat  stiff  examination  in  most  of  the  sub- 
jects with  which  they  will  not  be  required  to  deal.  They  are 
not  barristers,  they  know  nothing  of  English  law ;  but  to  some 
extent  they  are  made  acquainted  with  the  rudiments  of  Indian 
practice ;  they  have  a  slight — very  slight — knowledge  of  Hin- 
dostanee,  and  thus  equipped  they  are  sent  into  the  various  dis- 
tricts to  fulfil  the  somewhat  varied  duties  of  revenue  officers  and 
magistrates.  At  certain  periods  of  the  year  they  travel  from 
village  to  village  to  try  cases,  collect  taxes,  measure  land,  make 

19 


^98  WITH  THE  PBINCE  IN  INDIA. 

reports,  and  generally  look  after  the  tract  of  country  through 
which  they  pass.  Many  of  them  are  very  young,  say  between 
twenty-one  and  twenty-six  years  of  age ;  most  of  them  entertain 
the  profoundest  contempt  for  the  natives,  and  all  of  them  are 
endowed  with  powers  such  as  a  Bow-street  magistrate  of  a 
dozen  years'  standing  would  never  be  allowed  to  use.  What 
would  Sir  Thomas  Henry  say  to  a  youth  of  twenty-two  being 
allowed  to  order  a  man  twenty  lashes  and  two  years'  imprison-* 
ment  ?  Theoretically,  these  sentences  are  all  subject  to  re- 
vision :  they  are  always  recorded  in  a  book,  with  a  short  reason 
appended.  But  in  the  course  of  four  months'  careful  enquiry, 
I  could  only  discover  four  instances  in  which  the  sentences  had 
been  revised  by  the  collectors,  and  in  one  of  these  cases  the 
punishment  was  increased.  Very  often  an  appeal  to  the  High 
Courts,  however,  puts  a  stop  to  injustice  ;  and  it  is  in  setting 
right  the  vagaries  of  these  youthful  administrators  of  law  that 
the  centres  of  justice  are  mainly  engaged.  That  there  are  great 
difficulties  to  be  contended  against,  no  one  can  deny.  The  im- 
possibility of  placing  faith  in  what  native  prosecutor  or  wit- 
nesses on  either  side  may  say,  the  certainty  that  more  or  less 
perjury  is  mixed  up  in  every  statement,  and  the  knowledge  that 
any  amount  of  evidence  on  either  side  can  be  obtained  for  a  few 
annas,  places  the  magistrates  frequently  in  a  great  dilemma, 
and  this  may  possibly  account  for  some  of  the  mistakes  that  are 
made. 

I  will  take  you  into  a  court  of  the  ordinary  kind,  where  a 
typical  case  is  to  be  tried.  It  is  a  large,  square  room,  very 
plain,  very  bare  of  furniture.  Its  only  ornaments  are  a  table, 
at  which  a  very  youthful  magistrate  sits,  and  two  forms,  one  at 
his  side,  the  other  in  front  of  him.  At  the  door  is  a  crowd  of 
chattering,  noisy  natives,  who  are  arranging  what  is  to  be  done 
in  the  case  about  to  be  heard.  Inside  the  room  there  are  two 
native  policemen,  three  moonshees,  or  native  scribes,  seated  close 
to  the  magistrate,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  room  a  miserable- 


NATIVE  COURTS  AND  PRISONS.  299 

looking  lad  of  the  barber  caste,  waiting  for  judgment.  The 
Daniel  at  the  table  eyes  him  sternly  for  a  moment,  whereupon 
the  barber-prisoner  clasps  his  hands  in  the  attitude  of  petition, 
and  assumes  the  nearest  approach  to  penitent  submission  which 
he  can  call  up  in  his  inexpressibly  ugly  face.  His  offence  is  a 
curious  one :  he  has  nearly  cut  off  a  woman's  nose — the  police 
say  he  is  mad,  and  ought  to  be  locked  up,  and  here  he  is  for 
examination.  If  the  truth  were  really  told,  it  is  probable  that 
the  statement  of  the  lady  who  prosecutes  would  be  as  follows  : 
"I  am  unhappily  burdened  with  excessively  large  eyebrows — at 
least  so  my  friends  and  my  own  judgment  tell  me.  There  is 
not  much  in  my  appearance  to  recommend  me;  my  clothes  are 
ragged  and  dirty;  my  face  is  by  no  means  pretty;  but  these  are 
things  over  which  I  have  no  control.  With  my  eyebrows  the 
case  is  different — I  can  get  them  trimmed  for  a  few  cowrie- 
shells  if  a  very  low-caste  barber  is  applied  to,  and  hence  I 
employed  Motia.  Our  agreement  was,  however,  unfortunately, 
not  successful — he  did  not  trim  my  eyebrows  satisfactorily.  I 
refused  to  pay  him;  and  he  then  attempted  to  cut  my  nose  off. 
I  think  he  is  a  little  mad — he  certainly  is  very  violent."  All 
this  would  be  rendered  in  the  native  language,  were  the  prose- 
cutrix inclined  to  tell  the  truth.  To  an  uninstructed  mind 
there  would  appear  no  reason  why  she  should  fail  to  do  so ;  to 
those  who  know  India,  however,  there  is  a  very  great  reason 
indeed.  That  lady  in  rags  has,  curiously  enough,  all  the  objec- 
tion in  the  world  to  anybody  knowing  she  has  her  eyebrows 
trimmed.  Were  she  a  Mohammedan  she  would  not  mind  a 
bit ;  were  the  barber  a  high-caste  Hindoo,  she  would  be  less 
squeamish.  As  it  is,  she  will  not  admit  for  a  moment  that  she 
sent  for  Motia  to  improve  her  personal  appearance.  She  must 
tell  quite  a  different  story  to  that.  So  she  borrows  somebody 
else's  baby  boy,  a  little  urchin  of  some  two  summers,  the  crown 
of  whose  head  has  been  recently  shaved  in  approved  fashion, 
and,  carrying  him  in  her  arms,  shuffles  into  the  court.     Just 


300  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

before  she  arrives,  the  prisoner  has  been  making  a  statement 
which  somewhat  tallies  with  the  truth,  saying  that  he  was  just 
finishing  the  lady's  left  eyebrow  when  somebody  jogged  his 
elbow  and  made  him  cut  her  nose.  The  police,  at  whose 
instance  the  man  has  been  brought  up — for  the  prosecutrix  is 
quite  opposed  to  the  action — however,  deny  that  he  was  jogged 
at  all,  and  declare  that  he  is  mad. 

It  now  remains  to  hear  the  woman's  story,  and  she  begins  as 
follows :  "lama  poor  woman,  and  have  one  little  boy — this 
one  (holding  up  her  neighbour's  child).  I  saw  that  his  head 
ought  to  be  shaved,  so  I  sent  for  Motia  and  asked  him  to  do  it. 
Motia  is  a  very  careless  man,  but  a  very  good  man  indeed,  very 
good.  Motia  was  not  thinking  of  his  work,  I  believe,  for  just 
when  he  ought  to  have  been  looking  at  the  child  he  was  looking 
at  me ;  and  when  the  boy  moved  Motia's  hand  slipped,  and  so 
his  razor  cut  my  nose."  "  Is  that  the  truth  1 "  says  the  magis- 
trate, though  that  is  a  needless  formality,  for  the  lady  has  pre- 
viously promised,  her  right  hand  in  the  air  the  meanwhile, 
that  she  will  "tell  the  truth  according  to  righteousness  and 
nothing  else."  "  Let  me  see  your  nose,"  continues  the  embodi- 
ment of  justice.  The  woman  comes  forward,  uncovers  her  face, 
and  shows  a  gash  which  certainly  no  slip  of  the  hand  from  such 
a  razor  as  Motia  owns  will  account  for.  Yet  what  is  to  be  done : 
the  woman,  whose  forehead  has  evidently  been  lately  shaven, 
denies  that  her  eyebrows  were  touched,  says  quite  indignantly 
that  she  would  not  let  Motia  shave  her  face  for  any  consider- 
ation. Thereupon  a  native  doctor  is  sent  for,  and  is  asked 
whether  he  knows  anything  of  the  prisoner.  "  Yes,  Sahib,  I 
have  examined  him,"  is  the  reply,  for  the  doctor  prides  himself 
on  his  English,  "  I  find  him  very  funny  man  ;  he  laughs  very 
much  when  he  has  no  right  to  laugh  ',  sometimes  he  stare  at 
things  you  not  stare  at  at  all.  I  think  he  not  got  all  the  mind ; 
he  not  violent,  but  strange."  It  is  clear  that  the  man  cannot 
be  punished  for  laughing  when  he  ought  not,  or  for  not  possess- 


NATIVE   COURTS  AND  PRISONS.  301 

ing  "  all  the  mind."  So  more  witnesses  are  called  for,  and  they 
come  in  one  after  another.  Each  tells  a  different  story — some 
confirm  the  eyebrow  shaving  story,  but  say  that  the  child  jogged 
Motia ;  some  swear  to  the  tale  that  it  was  the  child's  head  that 
was  being  shaved,  while  one  old  lady,  unfortunately,  lets  out 
the  secret  that  the  body  does  not  belong  to  the  prosecutrix  at 
all.  Not  a  single  version  of  the  case  agrees  ;  the  police  reiterate 
what  they  said  at  first ;  the  woman  with  the  gashed  nose  con- 
tradicts them  flatly  ;  while  the  prisoner,  staring  at  the  wall, 
and  so  confirming  the  doctor's  remarks,  waits  calmly  while  the 
opposing  parties  fight  the  matter  out.  At  length  the  youthful 
magistrate  delivers  a  Solomon-like  oration.  He  finds  that 
Motia  cannot  be  sent  to  gaol  because  the  chief  sufferer  will  not 
pursue  him,  he  finds  that  he  cannot  punish  the  woman  because 
she  is  not  legally  before  him,  and  he  finds  that  the  police  have 
made  a  muddle  of  the  whole  business — and  all  this  he  first  of  all 
says  and  then  writes  down  in  the  magisterial  book  before  him. 
The  crowd  of  witnesses  thereupon  file  out,  and  justice  is  satis- 
fied. 

Of  course  when  at  Agra  the  famous  gaol  under  the  care  of 
Dr.  Tyler  could  not  be  missed.  Consequently  the  Duke  of 
Sutherland,  attended  by  a  large  party  of  the  Prince's  suite,  paid 
this  abode  of  2,500  criminals  a  visit  on  Thursday  morning.  I 
was  not  so  fortunate  as  to  accompany  them ;  but  an  hour  after- 
wards I  received  a  courteous  invitation  from  Dr.  Walker,  the 
Inspector-General  of  Gaols  in  the  North- West  Provinces,  to 
join  him  on  a  tour  of  inspection.  A  few  minutes  afterwards  I 
found  myself  in  a  comfortable  wagonnette,  and  shortly  after  that 
received  by  a  guard  of  honour,  composed  of  the  company  of 
Sepoys  whose  business  it  is  to  guard  the  gaol.  It  is  needless  to 
say  that  we  were  accompanied  on  our  rounds  by  five  soldiers. 
The  attempted  murder  of  Dr.  Tyler  only  two  months  ago 
warrants  every  precaution,  for  the  most  desperate  ruffians  in 
India  are  confined  here  for  life,  and  they  are  not  to  be  despised. 


t 
302  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

Once  inside  the  prison  walls,  how  forcibly  we  were  reminded 
that  we  were  in  an  Eastern  land !  A  beautiful  garden,  shaded 
by  the  huge  leaves  of  the  plantain-tree,  was  before  us ;  fruitful 
herbs  were  in  plenty,  and  what  in  England  would  have  been 
a  desert,  blossomed  as  the  rose.  There  was  little  to  remind 
us  of  the  precincts  of  a  prison.  True,  that  here  and  there  a 
gentleman  in  heavy  fetters  tied  up  a  lettuce  or  earthed  up  a 
cauliflower.  But  you  might  see  his  fellow  anywhere  else  in 
A.gra.  It  was  truly  a  pleasant  place,  albeit  the  ante-room 
to  a  dungeon.  Our  first  introduction  to  the  prisoners  was 
an  entry  into  the  department  where  small  boys  were  con- 
fined— some  scores  of  little  ignorant  imps,  who,  squatting  on 
the  ground,  were  just  then  engaged  in  eating  their  mid-day 
meal.  Their  two  hours'  morning  lesson  over,  they  were 
about  to  work  at  carpet  making — an  occupation  at  which,  I 
learn,  they  are  great  adepts.  Passing  by  these  we  came  to 
the  yards  in  which  the  female  criminals  were  kept — young 
women  who  had  committed  theft,  and  old  ladies  whose  ideas 
of  vagrancy  were  not  consistent  with  those  of  the  local 
magistracy.  In  one  section  were  those  who  had  committed 
heinous  crimes,  and  were  in  prison  for  life.  How  squalid,  how 
wretched  were  the  countenances  of  this  unenviable  company 
can  never  be  learnt  by  you  at  home  I  do  not  refer  to  the 
dresses ;  the  ordinary  grey  prison  garb  had  little  about  it  that 
was  repulsive.  Nor  do  I  allude  to  the  modern  badges  which 
each  wore,  attached  to  a  chain  passed  round  the  neck,  and  held 
up  in  obedience  to  command.  But  what  a  story  did  those  fifty 
faces  tell !  Tales  of  infanticide,  under  singularly  revolting  cir- 
cumstances; of  poisoned  husbands  and  fathers ;  of  murders  both 
by  strategy  and  force.  One  aged  matron,  whose  toothless  gums 
and  sightless  eyes  told  of  approaching  dissolution,  had  been  there 
ever  since  the  year  of  grace  1837 — her  crime  was  the  murder 
of  her  children  and  their  father.  Another,  a  very  young 
woman,  had  just  entered  upon  her  term  for  the  destruction  of  a 


NATIVE  COUBTS  AND  PBISONS.  303 

brother  and  father.  There  they  sat,  some  spinning  wool,  some 
nursing  their  children — a  helpless  crew,  to  whom  hope  never 
comes,  before  whom  yonder  barred  gates  would  never  open. 

From  such  a  spectacle  we  turned  sick  at  heart,  and  were  not 
at  all  sorry  when  we  entered  the  place  where  young  men  were 
employed  at  mat-making — gaining  what  they  never  knew  before, 
an  honest  livelihood.  Nor  was  the  next  ward  less  admirable,  con- 
taining the  cooking  ranges  of  the  establishment,  and  bakery  of 
the  gaol.  A  scene  of  animation  followed,  but  of  a  lucrative  and 
satisfactory  sort.  On  a  raised  platform,  at  a  pace  of  fully  three 
miles  an  hour,  were  forty-eight  rapscallions  turning  round  a 
huge  capstan.  Two  abreast  they  marched  at  quick  step,  not  to 
the  sound  of  a  band,  as  sailors  do  at  sea,  but  to  the  time  mark- 
ed out  by  a  warder,  whose  whip  encouraged  the  tardy,  and  in- 
vited them  to  activity.  They  were  no  useless  servants,  how- 
ever j  on  the  contrary,  the  capstan  they  so  rapidly  moved  gave 
off  four  horse-power,  which  we  found  to  be  utilised  in  driving 
wool-carding  and  spinning  machinery,  at  which  a  number  of 
other  prisoners  worked.  Round  went  the  wheel,  the  machines 
moved  merrily,  and  wool  for  all  the  looms  in  the  prison  was 
being  prepared.  How  much  was  needed  may  be  guessed  when 
it  is  known  that  some  scores  of  prisoners  were  employed  in 
making  cloth  for  all  parts  of  India,  some  with  hand  looms, 
others  with  larger  machines  moved  by  hand  and  feet  together 
There  were  carpets,  too,  waiting  for  wool,  curtains,  tablecloths, 
all  kinds  of  things  demanding  more  material.  Well  might  the 
forty-eight  be  encouraged ;  theirs  was  no  idle  task. 

But  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  they  were  the  only  ones 
employed  in  hard  labour.  Many  scores  were  grinding  flour 
with  the  old-fashioned  Eastern  mills,  pumping  water,  working 
at  printing  presses,  and  cleaning  the  cells.  Where,  however, 
more  refined  and  more  remunerative  labour  could  be  adopted, 
it  was  given  out ;  and  thus  it  was  that  we  presently  found  our- 
selves in  a  great  factory  for  manufacturing  what  are  known  as 


304  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

Persian  carpets.  To  my  surprise  it  was  under  the  care  of  an 
English  convict,  none  other  than  Captain  Lyat,  who,  only  four 
months  ago,  was  convicted  of  forgery  and  sent  to  prison  for  two 
years.  Of  his  case  I  say  nothing ;  but  certainly  his  shop  was  in 
wonderful  order.  His  men  were  all  at  work,  making  money 
for  the  Government,  and,  indeed,  earning  a  good  deal.  Their 
task  for  the  day  consisted  of  six  inches  of  carpet  two  feet  wide — 
a  carpet  which,  by  the  way,  is  sold  for  about  <£1  a  square  yard 
when  manufactured,  and  quite  treble  that  sum  in  England.  It 
was  here  that  we  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  a  Dacoit  who  for 
many  years  had  been  the  terror  of  the  North-west  Provinces, 
and  was  now  undergoing  a  sentence  of  seventeen  years ;  a 
gentleman  of  most  forbidding  countenance,  whose  leg  irons 
testified  to  his  irremediable  badness.  In  this  way  we  came  to 
cells  where  dangerous  criminals  were  shut  up ;  the  yard  for 
English  convicts,  now  happily  nearly  empty;  and  so  to  the 
gardens  once  more,  having  seen  the  finest  prison  in  India,  and 
probably  the  best  governed  one  in  the  world.  Will  it  be 
believed  that  the  profit  on  materials  supplied  for  prison  labour 
at  Agra  last  year  exceeded  £4,000  ?  There  are  few  gaols  in 
England  that  could  show  such  a  balance-sheet. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

AN    EASTERN     PARIS. 

In  the  record  of  Royal  entries  to  Eastern  cities  the  chronicler 
has  to  be  careful  lest,  by  awarding  the  palm  of  superiority  to 
any  one  reception,  he  may  find  himself  unable  to  give  to  the 
next  one  its  proper  meed  of  praise.  As  the  first  place  to  re- 
ceive the  Prince  of  "Wales,  Bombay  had  certainly  a  great  ad- 
vantage ;  the  magnificent  landscape  of  Ceylon  lent  undoubted 
charm  to  the  festivities  at  Kandy ;  the  absence  of  all  foolish 
and  needless  etiquette  at  Calcutta  rendered  the  Royal  landing 
on  the  banks  of  the  Hooghly  memorable  ;  at  Delhi  the  grandest 
military  spectacle  we  had  witnessed  was  presented,  when  the 
Shahazada  passed  the  Jumna  Musjid  in  the  sight  of  a  score  of 
thousands  of  people  .  the  Himalayas  of  Cashmere,  the  broad 
River  Tow,  the  ascent  to  Jummoo  on  the  hill,  the  barbaric 
music  and  the  strange  Asiatic  costumes  marked  the  procession 
in  the  far  North  as  strikingly  grand.  We  have  again  seen  a 
magnificent  spectacle,  and  this  time  the  locale  is  the  Paris  of 
India — Jeypore. 

I  do  not  know  who  it  was  that  gave  to  the  city  which  Jey 
Singh  built  this  happy  title.  Comparatively  few  travellers 
have  visited  it,  for  only  lately  a  line  has  been  laid  hither 
from  Agra.  It  was  far  from  the  civilised  world,  the  home 
of  an  independent  Prince,  of  whom  almost  as  little  was  known 
as  of  the  Grand  Lama  of  Thibet.  But  times  have  altered ; 
that  modern  civiliser,  the  railway,  has  grasped  Jeypore,  brought 
it  within  a  ten  hours'  ride  of  the  city  of  Akbar,  and  three  days 
ago  the  Prince  of  Wales  entered  it  with  greater  ease  than 
Gwalior  or  even  Jummoo.  And  now  no  more  appropriate  name 
could  be  given  to  the  capital  of  the  Maharajah  than  that  of  the 


306  WITH  THE  PEINCE  IN  INDIA. 

Paris  of  India.  They  say  that  Jey  Singh  was  an  enlightened 
man — that  he  was  filled  with  an  idea  that  even  narrow  streets 
on  the  top  of  a  mountain  were  not  so  healthy  as  wide  thorough- 
fares on  a  plain,  especially  when  that  stands  at  an  elevation  of 
fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea ;  that  large  houses 
well  ventilated,  and  a  good  system  of  sewerage,  were  preferable 
to  small  houses,  no  drains,  and  plenty  of  cholera ;  and  that,  see- 
ing all  this,  he  left  his  Royal  Palace  and  built  another.  He 
then  invited  his  people  to  quit  their  mud  hovels  for  the  roomy 
mansions  which  he  erected,  and  without  more  ado  constructed 
such  a  city  as  is  not  to  be  met  with  elsewhere  in  the  world. 

Nor  is  this  a  mere  phrase — a  vague,  exaggerated  idea ;  for 
the  main  thoroughfares  of  Jeypore  are  111  feet  wide,  and  inter- 
secting each  other  are  -respectively  two  miles  and  forty  yards, 
and  one  mile  and  a  quartei»long.  These  again  are  crossed  by  a 
third  main  street  nearly  two  miles  long,  and  thus  the  city  is 
divided  into  six  perfectly  equal  portions.  Even  in  these  the 
streets  are  fifty-five  feet  wide ;  and  each  house  has  a  garden, 
each  house  a  family  tree.  Nor  must  it  be  supposed  that  the 
buildings  are  unworthy  of  the  streets.  Erected  by  one  designer, 
they  are  composed  wholly  of  stone ;  and  though  the  handsome 
frontages  vary,  and  the  eye  is  thus  relieved,  one  idea  runs 
through  the  whole.  There  is  not  a  mud  cottage — not  one  of 
any  kind  within  the  walls  which  surround  Jeypore.  It  is  a 
city  of  palaces,  the  fronts  of  which  are  artistically  dyed  pink 
and  white.  Even  on  the  smallest  dwellings  the  same  care  has 
been  bestowed  as  upon  the  largest ;  handsome  flights  of  steps 
run  up  to  the  minarets  and  domes,  the  flat  roofs,  and  the  upper 
rooms  of  the  buildings ;  the  parapets  are  artistically  designed ; 
and  it  is  as  though  a  huge  palace  had  been  framed  for  the  resi- 
dence of  a  king. 

A  Royal  residence  there  is  beside,  or  rather  in  one  part 
of  the  city,  but  it  scarcely  exceeds  in  beauty  the  palaces  in 
which  the  people  live.     In  its  surroundings  it  is  magnificent, 


AN   EASTERN   PARIS.  307 

but  then  all  these — gardens,  lakes,  fountains,  and  marble 
walks — are  open  to  the  people.  They  may  not  own  the 
alligators  which  swarm  on  the  water's  edge,  but  they  may  see 
and  feed  them,  and  what  more  can  the  monarch  himself  do? 
To  them  may  not  belong  the  fee  simple  of  the  orange  groves 
and  paths  overhung  with  Cyprus,  myrtle,  plantain,  and  palm, 
but  they  may  walk  in  them,  and  pluck  the  rich,  juicy  fruit; 
the  fountains  and  the  marble  walks  may  not  be  at  their  disposal, 
but  they  are  for  their  use;  they  inherit  the  pleasures  of  the 
locality  without  any  of  its  responsibilities.  And  if  ever  they  are 
inclined  to  be  ungrateful  and  rebel  they  have  only  to  look  towards 
the  hills  upon  the  ruined  dungeons  of  old  Ambair,  to  be  reminded 
of  the  days  that  are  past  and  of  the  better  times  that  are  come. 
I  call  it  a  new  city,  but  that  is  not  strictly  correct.  Will  it  be 
believed  by  London  vestrymen  that  it  was  in  1728  that  Jey 
Singh  made  Jeypore  a  handsomer  spot  than  our  metropolis  of 
to-day,  and  that  for  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  the  city  of  Raj- 
pootana  has  had  wider  thoroughfares  and  better  drainage, 
prettier  houses  and  larger  gardens,  than  any  rival  in  civilised 
Europe  1 

It  was  in  such  a  scene  as  this,  then,  that  the  spectacle  of 
February  the  4th  was  cast. 

"We  take  a  carriage  and  drive  through  the  streets  while  the 
day  is  yet  young  and  the  period  of  the  Prince's  arrival  some 
hours  distant.  The  houses  on  each  side  of  the  street  are  seldom 
more  than  two  stories  high.  The  lower  portions  have  mostly 
open  shop  fronts,  the  upper  are  almost  wholly  composed  of  stone 
lattice  work.  In  the  former  the  men  of  Jeypore  are  seated  by 
thousands ;  in  the  latter  the  women  of  the  city  are  assembled, 
peering  through  the  screen  which  hides  them  at  the  preparations 
for  the  entry  of  the  Prince.  Here,  as  elsewhere  in  India,  the 
crowd  is  dressed  in  gay  colours.  Perhaps  scarlet  predominates, 
but  there  are  yellow,  light  green,  Ught  blue,  light  red.  Any- 
way, the  people  are  attired  in  the  brightest  costumes.     The 


308  WITH  THE  PEINCE  IN   INDIA. 

very  arrangements  of  the  streets  aided  to  make  the  sight  a 
stirring  one.  When  in  London  we  went  to  the  procession,  it 
may  be  of  a  newly-recovered  Prince  or  a  newly  married  Princess, 
there  were  many  things  to  be  taken  into  consideration.  It 
might  rain  or  snow,  or  a  hundred  things  may  militate  against 
a  comfortable  view.  But  in  Jeypore  there  was  no  such  trouble- 
some thought.  The  Prince  could  only  enter  on  an  elephant ;  the 
bright,  blue  sky  above  forbade  the  suspicion  of  rain.  So  the  na- 
tives who  wished  to  be  spectators,  and  there  were  many  thous- 
ands of  them,  thronged  the  pathways,  sat  in  the  shop  fronts,  got 
behind  windows,  perched  themselves  upon  the  roofs,  and  filled 
the  staircases,  with  the  assurance  that  they  would  all  have  a 
good  view  of  the  Maharajah's  guest. 

There  were  nine  residents  in  Jeypore,  however,  who  were 
not  allowed  to  witness  the  Royal  entry,  albeit  thai  their 
dwelling-place  was  not  a  hundred  yards  from  the  Prince's  route. 
Nine  residents  of  Jeypore,  in  cages,  not  so  much  because  they 
were  wicked  in  the  past  as  that  they  might  possibly  be  trouble- 
some were  they  allowed  to  mingle  at  present  with  the  crowd  in 
the  streets.  It  was  well  they  were  so  confined,  for  few  more 
savage  than  they  were  ever  seen.  I  have  in  different  parts  of 
the  world  visited  zoological  gardens,  and  wondered  at  the  ani- 
mals collected  therein,  but  never  did  I  see  such  fearful  beasts  as 
were  these  nine.  There  was  a  tiger  fully  twelve  feet  long,  which 
had  made  twenty-five  hearty  meals  off  as  many  unoffending 
men,  women,  and  children.  There  was  a  tigress  which,  as  often 
as  she  saw  Europeans,  waxed  furious  and  frantic,  and  endeav- 
oured to  tear  down  the  slight  cage  in  which  she  was  pent  up. 
There  was  an  old  tiger  whose  powers  and  propensities  were 
such  that  even  Jeyporeans  had  thought  fit  to  vote  him  a  double 
set  of  bars,  eating  half  a  goat,  and  growling  as  though  he  would 
leave  it  and  spring  into  the  street  every  moment.  There  was 
a  lank  tiger  which,  it  was  said,  could  spring  further  than  any 
cf  its  kind  in  the   world — an  acrobatic,  athletic,  wiry  beast, 


AN  EASTERN   PARIS.  ~      309 

that  once,  some  months  ago,  lept  up  into  a  tree,  and  took  there- 
from a  thoughtless  Shikaree,  who  imagined  that  at  the  height 
of  fifteen  feet  from  the  ground  he  was  perfectly  safe,  and  could 
laugh  any  savage  animal  in  the  kingdom  to  scorn.  And  there 
were  three  more,  about  each  of  which  terrible  tales  were  told 
of  ravaged  villages,  plundered  flocks,  and  desperate  struggles 
before  they  were  enticed  into  traps,  and  thence  conveyed  to  tho 
Maharajah's  cages.  Two  leopards,  who  appeared  to  have  ar- 
rived at  the  border  of  frenzy,  completed  the  nine  who  alone  in 
Jeypore  were  not  invited  to  bid  the  Prince  welcome.  All  the 
rest  were  there ;  even  the  convicts,  with  their  heavy  leg  irons, 
were  allowed  a  glance  at  the  Hoyal  guest — a  day  of  happiness 
In  a  life  of  gloom. 

But  perhaps  the  most  curious  section  of  those  who  came  to 
cheer  the  august  visitor  were  the  members  of  a  tribe  with  which 
you  in  England  are  somewhat  familiar,  and  everybody  must 
have  heard  of  the  Nagas,  the  unruly  children  of  the  hills  in 
Central  India,  the  gentlemen  against  whom  an  expedition  was 
lately  sent,  and  some  of  whose  villages  were  very  recently 
burned.  Well  warned  by  that  timely  chastisement,  and  suitably 
admonished  as  to  the  necessity  of  good  behaviour,  these  reck- 
less, wild  men  were  invited  to  do  honour  to  the  Prince.  Nor 
was  their  duty  merely  the  passive  one  of  suffering  the  pro- 
cession to  go  by  without  molestation.  Their  part  was  the 
active  one  of  adding  to  the  glory  of  the  entry  in  a  more  pro- 
nounced manner  than  even  their  prototypes  of  Ceylon,  the 
Veddahs  of  the  hills  of  that  island. 

Before,  however,  I  tell  you  what  they  did,  let  me  tell  you 
what  they  are  like. 

It  was  early  in  the  afternoon  when  I  visited  their  encamp- 
ment for  the  purpose  of  making  acquaintance  with  these  singu- 
lar creatures.  My  introduction  was  the  fiat  of  the  Maharajah, 
my  protection  the  generosity  of  the  people  themselves.  For, 
though  they  will  occasionally  murder  a  European,  as  ciicuni- 


310       "        WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

stances  lately  showed,  they  are  generally  friendly,  and,  unless 
provoked,  are  fairly  civil.  I  think  that  the  exhibition  of  a  lead 
pencil  which  would  make  a  palpable  mark  upon  paper  was  the 
magnet  which  attracted  them  into  a  circle — the  rest  was  easy. 
In  a  few  minutes  they  were  persuaded  to  form  up  into  two  lines 
of  about  fifty  apiece,  and  there  stand  while  some  of  the  party 
were  sketched.  To  be  drawn — to  appear  in  a  picture — was  to 
them  &  new  sensation.  The  only  difficulty  was  to  keep  them 
from  settling  the  moot  point  as  to  who  should  be  selected  by  an 
immediate  appeal  to  the  arms  they  carried.  Such  a  reference 
would  have  been  most  inconvenient.  Each  had  a  curious  kind 
of  blunderbuss,  which,  however,  was  by  no  means  the  most 
important  part  of  their  equipment.  The  formidable  sword  they 
carried  was  the  principal  weapon.  Picture  to  yourself  a  blade 
five  feet  long,  the  handle  of  which  is  a  great  steel  arm-guard, 
such  as  the  knights  in  England  wore  as  gauntlets  in  the  "  good 
old  days  f  give  to  that  sword  a  flexibility  compared  with  which 
the  Toledo  blade  is  stiff  and  unbendable,  and  sharpen  it  till  it 
equals  the  steel  of  Damascus,  and  you  have  the  Naga's  falchion. 
Hand  this  to  a  fierce  gentleman  whose  whiskers  are  mixed  with 
his  turban,  and  meet  in  a  knot  at  the  top  of  his  head,  and 
whose  countenance  is  as  objectionable  as  that  of  any  Thuggee 
or  Dacoit  in  India.  In  his  waistcloth  place  a  dagger  of  for- 
midable size,  give  him  a  shield  of  metal  or  hide,  round  his 
naked  legs  put  spangles  and  rings,  on  his  feet  a  hard  leather 
shoe — and  you  have  a  Naga  ready  for  anything.  Or  in  place 
of  the  dagger  arm  him  with  a  spear  fourteen  feet  long  and  a 
pistol  or  two;  he  can  take  his  place  in  the  ranks  before  us. 
To  complete  the  party  some  would  have  to  wear  nothing  but  a 
waistcloth,  while  to  others  might  be  given  jackets  of  tiger- 
skin,  or  singular  coats,  with  great  epaulettes  and  protections  for 
the  back  of  the  neck  extending  higher  than  the  ears ;  some,  too 
should  have  linen  tied  round  their  faces  as  though  they  had 
toothache.  Such  were  the  gentlemen  who  came  to  take  part  in 
the  procession. 


AN  EASTERN   PARIS.  311 

Their  work  was  a  simple  one.  If  they  understand  anything, 
it  is  the  use  of  the  sword.  It  is  their  constant  practice  and 
amusement,  and,  in  case  of  disputes,  the  approved  way  of 
arranging  the  difficulty.  Does  one  gentleman  think  that  an- 
other has  unlawful  aspirations  for  the  possession  of  his  wife  1 
Then  he  invites  him  to  take  his  weapon  and  his  shield  and 
decide  the  question  of  ownership  at  once.  There  is  no  veto  in 
the  way  of  such  a  proposition.  The  respective  parties  place 
themselves  in  position,  give  a  preliminary  caper  for  the  amuse, 
ment  of  their  friends,  and  then  cut  and  thrust  till  one  or  the 
other,  or  perhaps  both,  are  run  through.  They  have  none  of 
the  scruples  as  to  shedding  blood  which  beset  the  ordinary 
Hindoo.  They  are,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  a  kind  of  depraved 
Buddhists.  "  We  do  not  worship  in  a  temple,"  one  of  them 
said  to  me,  "  but  we  pray  with  a  book  to  our  god."  The  fact 
that  Buddha  disapproved  of  fighting,  however,  never  troubles 
them  ;  they  love  their  swords  and  like  to  use  them. 

Like  to  use  them,  indeed  !  At  the  very  mention  of  such  a 
thing  two  stepped  into  the  pathway  and  began  a  friendly  com- 
bat, One  was  an  elderly  warrior,  with  huge  eyes  and  a  yellow 
face  \  the  other  a  stripling,  who  had  painted  most  of  his  body 
blue.  With  an  exhilarating  flourish,  they  struck  each  other's 
shields  and  then  began.  Round  and  round  they  went,  now 
rushing  close  to  each  other  and  stabbing,  and  now  falling  on 
their  knees  and  clashing  their  blades  together  with  all  their 
might.  Sometimes  the  points  of  their  swords  would  go  within 
an  inch  or  two  of  their  faces ;  sometimes  it  seemed  as  though 
their  optics  would  be  picked  out  cleaner  than  by  any  vulture. 
But  no  !  not  even  a  feather  in  the  peacock's-tail  plumes  which 
they  wore  in  their  turbans  was  injured ;  they  were  both  as  safe 
as  a  mongoose  from  a  cobra's  bite.  And  when,  with  great  re- 
luctance, they  were  persuaded  to  leave  off,  two  more  went  at  it, 
and  clattered  away  as  merrily  as  the  others.  Thus  couple  after 
couple  fought,  like  the  knights  in  days  of  yore,  challenging  each 


312  WITH  THE  PBINCE   IN  INDIA. 

other  to  feats  of  dexterity — sometimes  rolling  in  the  dust,  some- 
times chasing  each  other  with  every  sign  of  fierceness,  now 
imitating  defeat  and  now  victory. 

At  length,  however,  we  persuaded  them  to  stop.  But  their 
entertainment  was  not  yet  finished,  and  they  were  determined 
we  should  see  what  they  could  do.  So  then  there  rushed  for- 
ward a  savage,  who  carried  a  stick  from  which  hung  by  iron 
chains  several  wooden  balls  covered  with  spikes,  and,  without 
more  ado,  he  swung  them  round  so  close  to  my  head  that  I 
wished  myself  comfortably  at  home  in  an  arm  chair  once  more. 
Flinching  would  have  been  more  serious  still,  so  with  great 
effort  I  stood  firmly  while  the  spiked  balls  whirled  round  my 
helmet  and  came  past  my  face.  I  am  told  that  gentleman  can 
send  any  one  of  the  six  balls  within  a  quarter  of  an  inch  of  any 
given  object.  The  whole  business  was  most  troublesome,  as 
those  who  wanted  to  "  form  a  group  "  for  the  artist  were  legion 
and  all  who  were  there  were  erratic  and  wilful  At  last  when 
everything  appeared  to  be  arranged,  some  jealous  Naga,  whose 
face  was  not  a  fortune,  and  whose  appearance  was  certainly  not 
prepossessing,  proposed  that  they  should  dine ;  whereupon  a 
mutiny  arose,  which  all  our  efforts  to  quell  were  unavailing.  In 
the  end  the  great  food  question  led  them  to  rise  in  a  body  and 
troop  off  to  their  tents ;  and  such  were  the  gentlemen  whose 
special  business  it  was  "  to  fight  the  way  of  the  Prince"  into 
Jeypore. 

It  was  nearly  dark ;  the  policemen,  armed  with  great  cud- 
gels, had  amused  themselves  for  hours  with  thrashing  the 
populace  first  from  one  position  to  another,  and  then  back 
again ;  the  thousands  in  the  shop-windows,  behind  the  lattice- 
work, and  on  the  roofs,  had  chewed  as  much  betel-nut  as  the 
vendors  with  baskets  could  produce  for  the  occasion ;  and  the 
few  Europeans  who  were  in  Jeypore  had  taken  up  their  position 
on  the  top  of  the  Medical  Hall,  opposite  the  palace  gates,  when 
a  bouquet  of  rockets  and  a  din  of  tom-toms  announced  that  the 


AN  EASTERN   PAEIS.  313 

Maharajah  was  going  forth  to  meet  the  Prince.  A  moment 
later,  and  his  Highness  sallied  forth  on  horseback,  preceded  by 
a  small  body  of  the  Nagas,  who  ran  in  front  of  him  for  a  little 
way,  fencing  and  capering  in  most  approved  fashion.  They 
stopped  when  they  came  to  a  huge  tower  which  stands  in  front 
of  the  city,  and  about  whose  builder  a  curious  story  is  told. 
Jey  Singh,  it  is  said,  erected  it  in  order  to  look  into  some- 
body's harem.  Thence  the  Maharajah  proceeded  alone,  in  all 
the  glory  of  ordinary  potentates,  with  horsemen  and  footmen, 
but  no  Nagas. 

Fortunately  we  had  not  long  to  wait  for  the  grand  spectacle, 
and  that  little  while  was  beguiled  by  a  conversation  with  a 
Fakir  who  chanced  to  go  by,  and  whose  acquaintance  I  made. 
He  was  a  very  holy  man,  as  will  be  easily  understood  when  it 
is  explained  that  his  hair,  matted  in  tails,  hung  below  his 
waist  \  that  a  quarter  of  an  inch  of  mud  covered  his  face  and 
neck ;  that  he  had  painted  that  mud  a  striking  pink  and  yellow; 
that  round  his  eyes  were  bright  blue  rings ;  that  he  wore  about 
his  otherwise  naked  ribs  a  rope  which  had  never  been  untied 
since  the  first  day  it  was  fixed  there  fifteen  years  ago ;  that  ho 
had  stained  his  legs  a  dull  grey ;  and  that  his  nails  had  been 
allowed  to  grow  to  the  length  of  an  inch  beyond  the  toes.  In- 
deed, his  sanctity  was  palpably  acknowledged  by  all  the  other 
Fakirs  in  Jeypore ;  and  when  he  stalked  along  the  streets  on 
the  extremity  of  his  heels — that  was  his  favourite  method  of 
locomotion — shook  a  club  from  which  were  suspended  a  number 
of  little  bells,  and  yelled  out,  "  Yo  ho  !  yo  ho ! "  they  made 
way  for  him  as  a  man  of  whom  the  gods  were  peculiarly  fond, 
"  Why  did  you  become  a  Fakir?"  was  the  question  put  to  this 
amiable  gentleman.  "  Because  I  love  my  God  very  much,  and 
because  it  is  the  easiest  way  of  getting  to  Heaven,"  was  the 
reply.  "  You  are  certain  to  go  there,  are  you  not  1 "  "  Yes/' 
said  the  Fakir,  "  I'm  going  there  very  fast,  and  so  will  you  if 
you  give  me  some  backsheesh,"   saying  which  he  held  out  a 

20 


314  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

cocoanut  shell,  and,  receiving  a  small  coin,  gave  the  club 
another  shake,  shouted  out  "  Yo  ho! "  and  continued  his  march 
once  more. 

Just  then,  darkness  fast  coming  on,  a  salute  of  guns  pro- 
claimed that  the  Prince  had  reached  the  railway  station,  and 
was  coming  into  the  town.  Of  course  we  all  prepared  to  receive 
him,  and  the  police  thrashed  the  crowd  with  renewed  vigour. 
At  length,  through  a  triumphal  arch  on  our  right  were  seen  the 
running  footmen  of  the  procession,  shuffling  along  with  a  lot  of 
irregular  cavalry  in  the  rear.  Very  irregular  indeed  were  these 
horsemen,  very  irregular  were  their  almost  unmanageable  steeds, 
too;  but  they  came  on  knocking  down  a  few  natives,  perhaps,  but 
still  covering  the  ground  as  directed.  Probably  they  were  the 
more  careless  of  doing  harm  for  the  reason  that,  with  admirable 
forethought,  the  good  Maharajah  had  ordered  to  be  swung  from 
one-fourth  of  the  Venetian  masts  that  decorated  the  streets  a 
very  special  and  effective  charm  against  the  wiles  and  snares  of 
the  Devil  which  had  been  given  him  by  the  excellent  priests  of 
the  Sila  Deva  Temple  at  Amber.  This  consisted  of  two  half- 
squares  crossed,  and  coming  from  such  a  source  could  not  fail 
to  be  useful ;  yet  it  made  the  irregular  horsemen  more  irregular 
than  ever. 

As  to  the  procession,  it  seemed  to  me  unique  of  its  kind. 
Perchance  it  was  because  there  was  not  the  slightest  European 
element  in  it.  All  was  Jeyporean  in  every  particular — the 
runners,  the  cavalry,  the  tom-tom  beaters  who  followed  in 
crowds,  and  the  festive  gentlemen  who  were  trying  to  play 
"God  save  the  Queen"  on  wooden  whistles.  The  little  band  of 
Europeans  on  the  housetop  were  lost  in  comparison  with  the 
thousands  of  visitors  below.  It  was  a  grand  pageant  of  the  East. 
"What  else  could  be  said  of  the  men  in  red  turbans  and  long  red 
and  yellow  gowns,  who,  bearing  banners,  rode  by  the  side  of  two 
elephants  that  carried  huge  flags  %  Where  else,  save  in  India, 
could  be  found  such  javelin  men  as  those  who  came  along  with 


AN  EASTERN  PARIS.  315 

great  silver  javelins  held  high  in  the  air  1  And,  then  the  chief- 
tains, who  came  next,  Rajahs,  Sirdars,  Nawabs,  all  mounted  on 
magnificent  horses,  and  surrounded  by  crowds  of  retainers. 
How  they  scurried  along,  maintaining  no  sort  of  order,  but 
simply  heralding  the  coming  of  the  Prince,  as  they  mingled 
with  each  other,  and  urged  their  steeds  forward !  Not  inferior 
either  in  appearance  was  the  calvacade  of  led  horses  which  fol- 
lowed— animals  magnificently  caparisoned,  whose  saddles  were 
cloth  of  gold  and  round  whose  necks  hung  hundreds  of  gold  and 
silver  coins.  Next  there  were  horsemen  in  double  lines,  armed 
with  spears  and  attired  in  Rajpoot  costumes,  while  in  the  dis- 
tance could  be  seen,  slowly  coming  under  the  archway,  torch- 
bearers  with  a  great  blaze  of  lights. 

We  might  regret  that  the  day  was  fast  closing  in,  we  might 
wish  for  the  sun  and  the  warmth  of  the  morning,  but  for  an 
Eastern  spectacle  could  anything  be  more  fitting  than  the  gloom 
of  evening  and  the  torchlight  1  The  torches  were  advancing  in 
two  lines  on  the  pathways,  in  the  road  were  the  elephants  on 
which  the  Prince  and  Maharajah  rode,  and  in  front  of  these 
huge  beasts  were  our  friends  the  Nagas,  fighting  their  way  in 
the  most  approved  fashion.  It  is  difficult  to. describe  the  effect 
produced  by  these  capering  wild  men  in  that  fitful  blaze,  as  they 
jumped  and  thrust  and  ran  and  fenced  under  the  trunks  of  the 
two  elephants  that  were  coming  up  the  street.  No  knightly 
appearance  had  they  just  then ;  they  danced  like  demons,  and 
struck  at  each  other  with  their  brands.  You  could  hear  the 
clash  of  their  weapons  as  they  rung  on  the  shields.  You  could 
see  them  falling  on  the  ground  as  though  mortally  wounded, 
rolling  over  and  over,  and  then  springing  up  again,  sometimes 
maintaining  a  mimic  battle  in  line,  and  sometimes  a  running 
fight,  shouting,  crying,  yelling,  as  though  the  combat  were  real 
and  their  energy  not  assumed.  Just  behind  were  the  Prince 
and  the  Maharajah,  behind  them  again  the  Royal  and  Raj 
suites,  on  a  long  line  of  elephants  numbering  nearly  a  hundred; 


316  WITH  THE  PMNCE  IN  INDIA. 

and  in  rear  of  all  an  escort  of  cavalry.  The  people  did  not 
cheer,  yet  they  smiled  a  pleasant  assent  to  the  doings  of  the  day. 
They  could  not  be  called  enthusiastic,  but  they  were  as  satisfied 
with  the  pageant  as  it  was  fail*  to  suppose  they  could  be  with 
anything. 


CHAPTEE  XXXII. 

TIGER  SHOOTING  AND  A  DURBAR. 

Jeypore  is  noted  for  tigers.  Let  me  describe  how  the  Prince 
shot  his  first  tiger  in  the  Jeypore  jungle. 

First  of  all  it  is  necessary  to  dismiss  from  your  minds  any 
apprehension  of  dangerous  propinquity  to  the  lord  of  the  Indian 
jungle.  To  stalk  a  beast  of  this  description  on  foot  in  a  dense 
wood,  when  it  may  spring  upon  the  sportsman  at  any  moment, 
or  to  follow  it  along  a  nullah,  or  dry  river-bed,  alone,  when 
evening  is  fast  approaching  and  the  tiger  can  see  him  while  he 
cannot  see  it,  is  a  feat  of  some  danger.  Equally  dangerous  is  it 
to  track  the  brute  to  its  lair,  it  may  be  in  some  deep,  dark, 
cavernous  hollow,  as  did  that  model  of  bravery,  Sir  Richard 
Outram  ;  but  such  was  not  the  peril  to  which  the  Maharajah  of 
Jeypore  exposed  the  Queen's  son.  Indeed,  so  fearful  was  his 
Highness  lest  any  evil  should  befall  his  Royal  guest  that  no 
precaution  of  safety  was  neglected,  and  no  chance  of  danger  left. 

The  jungle  outside  Jeypore,  especially  in  that  direction  which 
was  selected  by  the  Prince,  is  not  very  dense.  There  is  a  ridge 
of  high  hills  in  horseshoe  form  protecting  Jeypore  from  the 
great  Western  Indian  Desert,  the  sands  of  which  press  even 
into  the  town.  Climbing  these  you  look  down  upon  a  wide, 
expansive  treeless  plain — a  great  yellow,  drifting  level  similar 
to  that  which  one  witnesses  on  the  Egyptian  frontier.  Ever 
and  anon  the  wind  whirls  a  sand-storm  into  the  air,  and  sends 
it  up  the  hills,  through  the  gorges,  and  so  by  the  passes  inside 
the  walls  of  Jeypore.  A  merry  game  is  that  which  the  wind 
has  with  the  drifting  dust  of  the  desert.  On  these  wide-extend- 
ing desolate  expanses  neither  tiger  nor  leopard  can  live ;  their 


318  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

only  ghelter  is  the  range  of  hills — the  home  of  game  of  all  kinds, 
driven  thither  by  the  sand.  That  there  are  great  numbers  of 
these  terrible  fugitives  a  glance  at  the  ground  over  which  we 
are  climbing  will  readily  show.  Here  is  the  footprint  of  a  tiger, 
there  the  mark  of  a  cheetah  ;  we  can  see  where  the  cushions  of 
those  heavy  feet  pressed  ;  it  needs  no  imagination  to  know  that 
the  animal  had  claws.  You  may  have  heard  of  the  Gulta,  of 
the  far-famed  Temple  of  the  Sun,  and  the  glorious  view  to  be 
gained  of  the  desert,  and  of  the  far-distant  hills  of  Ajmere.  If 
so,  climb  over  the  boulders  and  stones  till  an  altitude  of  some 
seven  hundred  feet  is  reached  ;  and  then  !  Then  you  look  down 
into  a  precipice  of  wonderful  grandeur — a  straight  descent  to 
the  lowest  level,  and  thence  right  across  the  desert,  seeing 
nothing  but  sand  in  front,  and  nothing  but  high  hills  to  the 
right  and  left.  Behind  is  Jeypore,  spread  out  like  a  map ; 
round  it  are  the  jungles  in  which  the  tigers  hide. 

But  it  is  on  the  range  where  you  stand  that  their  favourite 
home  is  found,  and  looking  away  to  your  right  you  can  easily 
descry  a  green  house  of  two  stories — a  house  with  a  flat  roof 
and  a  parapet — on  the  side  of  one  of  the  hills.  Passing  along 
the  ridge  a  large  number  of  natives  become  apparent  who  have 
been  sent  out  to  beat  the  woods,  and  to  drive  the  game  down  to 
yonder  shooting-box.  Moreover,  the  Prince  and  Maharajah, 
several  of  the  Prince's  suite,  and  some  of  the  most  famous  native 
shots  are  all  on  that  roof  comfortably  hidden  behind  the  loop- 
holed  wall.  A  Jeypore  Shikaree  avers  that  the  tiger  which  the 
Prince  is  to  shoot  will  be  driven  within  twenty  feet  of  that  house, 
and  that  the  dangers  of  the  sport  are  only  for  those  who  may 
chance  to  be  within  range  of  somebody's  rifle  or  in  the  way  of 
an  unexpected  leopard.  However,  the  spectators  wait,  although 
the  day  is  sultry  and  the  sand  is  hot.  You  are  not  invited  to 
the  top  of  the  house ;  indeed,  no  ones  knows  of  your  where- 
abouts ;  and  it  is  too  late  now  to  discover  yourself,  for  at  any 
moment  the  tiger  may  be  driven  down,  and  the  rifles  of  tb^ 
party  behind  the  parapet  open  fire. 


TIGER  SHOOTING  AND  A  DURBAR.  319 

Driven  down,  indeed !  All  over  the  hills  is  a  noise  which 
might  well  frighten  the  boldest  beast  in  the  jungle  were  he  here. 
There  is  sure  to  be  something,  too ;  since  for  many  days  past — 
three  months,  I  am  told — strong  wooden  cages,  with  live  goats 
inside  them,  have  been  placed  on  the  hills  to  attract  the  tigers. 
How  the  great  growling  brutes  have  rubbed  their  noses  against 
those  hard  teak  cases ;  how  they  have  waited  till  day-light  came, 
and  then,  sullenly  picking  up  the  the  stray  pieces  of  flesh  which 
were  scattered  about  the  ground,  have  sought  a  friendly  bush 
in  which  to  hide  themselves  from  the  fierceness  of  the  sun, 
might  be  easily  told.  They  are  not  far  off,  depend  upon  it ;  the 
increase  of  shouting  on  the  left  bodes  the  coming  of  the  prey. 
Suddenly  £L.great  rush,  followed  by  a  leap — the  bound  of  a 
frightened  animal — is  heard,  and  then  a  huge  tigress  is  seen 
close  to  the  house.  Close  to  the  house  1  Not  more  than  twenty 
feet  from  it,  clearly  in  sight,  ready  for  the  Royal  gun.  Bang  ! 
bang !  It  may  be  that  the  first  shot  has  not  hit  it,  but  the 
second  has,  for  see !  the  tigress  is  making  for  a  hillock,  and  is 
passing  out  of  sight.  She  must  not  escape,  however,  or  the 
Prince  will  not  kill  to-day.  Some  effort  must  be  made  to  reach 
her  in  her  hiding-place,  the  haven  to  which  in  her  terror  she 
has  fled.  So  a  trusty  elephant  is  brought — an  elephant  which 
would  dispose  of  the  largest  tiger  in  India  in  a  minute  with  the 
greatest  possible  ease — an  elephant  which  has  been  in  the  jungle 
on  such  expeditions  a  score  of  times  before,  and  that  knows  as 
much  about  tiger-hunting  as  Major  Bradford,  the  great  tiger 
Shikaree,  himself.  Up  in  the  howdah,  quite  out  of  danger,  ac- 
companied by  one  or  two  of  the  finest  Jeypore  shots,  goes  the 
Prince  to  despatch  the  wounded  tigress.  Very  cautiously,  and 
making  a  wide  detour,  the  Prince  goes  round,  till  at  length  he 
comes  opposite  his  victim,  when,  with  rifle  raised,  he  pours  two 
shots  into  the  struggling  brute,  and  lays  her  dead.  A  minute 
after,  and  the  suite  are  on  the  spot  to  congratulate  His  Boyal 
Highness.     Nor  is  the  little  Maharajah  behind-hand  in  his 


320  WITH  THE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA, 

praises.  The  Prince  receives  their  felicitations  graciously,  a 
grand  triumphal  procession  is  formed,  and  back  into  Jeypore 
goes  the  Shahazada  with  his  first  victim.  That  the  tigress  on 
being  skinned  is  found  to  have  been  the  prospective  mother 
of  three  cubs,  is  considered  a  matter  for  further  rejoicing. 

A  real  Indian  Durbar  has  but  seldom  been  seen  during  our 
progress  through  India.  For  reasons  best  known  to  the  advisers 
of  the  Prince,  the  gentlemen  who  had  the  distribution  of  the 
fire-engines,  medals,  organs,  albums,  swords,  photographs,  rings, 
and  snuff-boxes,  which  comprised  the  miscellaneous  collection  on 
board  the  "  Serapis,"  thought  fit  that  these  delights  of  the  eye 
should  be  transferred  from  the  Royal  hands  to  the  possession  of 
the  recipients  in  private.  We  heard  occasionally  of  a  Maha- 
rajah receiving  a  gold  pin  and  a  walking-stick  in  his  own  house; 
once  or  twice  we  witnessed  the  affixing  of  a  medal  in  the  sight 
of  the  crowd,  but  not  often.  The  stately  display  of  Eastern  and 
Western  magnificence  was  not  often  achieved,  and  it  was  there- 
fore with  feelings  of  pleasure  that  we  looked  forward  to  the  pro- 
mised Durbar  at  Jeypore. 

How  it  was  held  may  now  be  narrated. 

In  the  new  palace  of  the  Maharajah  is  a  stately  apartment, 
which,  according  to  Indian  fashion,  is  called  the  Dewan-i-am. 
Here,  at  stated  intervals,  the  councils  of  the  Raj  are  held ; 
here  the  Rajah  dispenses  some  justice  and  occasionally  a  little 
mercy ;  here  there  is  a  great  dais  erected,  on  which  a  throne 
usually  stands,  and  round  it  meet  in  solemn  conclave  the  digni- 
taries of  Jeypore.  In  the  evening,  long  before  the  tiger-shoot- 
ing party  had  returned,  there  had  gathered  in  this  great  hall 
the  rajahs,  chiefs,  sirdars,  and  head  men  of  the  nation,  each 
dressed  in  his  most  splendid  uniform,  wearing  the  Rajpoot 
turban  of  state,  and  adorned  with  all  the  jewellery  which  he 
possessed.  On  the  dais  were  two  thrones ;  and  on  either  side 
were  six  long  rows  of  nobles  seated,  perhaps  in  all  twelve 
hundred  notable  grandees,  the  Prime  Minister  of  the  Maharajah 


TIGER  SHOOTING  AND  A  DURBAR.  32J 

having  the  first  place  on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  Heir  Appar- 
ent. On  the  right-hand  was  a  row  of  chairs  in  which  the 
Prince's  suite  were  to  sit.  The  place  was  brilliantly  lighted; 
in  a  gallery  in  rear  of  the  dais  were  such  European  ladies  and 
gentlemen  as  desired  to  witness  the  ceremony ;  and  in  a  court, 
yard  into  which  one  end  of  the  room  opened  was  a  band  of 
musicians. 

It  would  have  been  amply  worth  the  while  of  a  stranger  to 
traverse  that  vast  hall  and  note  the  costumes  of  those  who 
were  assembled  there,  what  curious  swords  they  carried,  what 
strange  shields,  what  grand  arrays  of  jewels  they  boasted,  and 
what  handsome  robes  they  wore.  There  were  men  with  such  a 
profusion  of  gold,  in  turban  and  cloak,  that  it  might  well  have 
been  doubted  whether  more  of  the  precious  metal  could,  by  any 
possibility,  have  been  added  to  the  needlework.  There  were 
some  with  grand  pearl  bead  work  of  immense  value  and  singu- 
lar beauty.  Hours  might  have  been  spent  in  a  survey  of  the 
curious  shawls  from  Cashmere  and  the  far  North,  the  Centre, 
and  the  East  of  India — such  cunning  needlework  as  the  rich 
men  of  the  land  are  most  renowned  for.  But  hours  could  not 
thus  be  spent,  for  the  Prince  was  coming  up  the  steps  into  the 
Dewan-i-am,  led  by  the  Maharajah — a  little,  bent  man,  wearing 
spectacles,  a  gold-embroidered  cap  and  gown.  Of  course,  the 
great  assembly  received  the  Prince  upstanding,  remained  so 
while  he  took  his  seat  on  the  dais  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
Maharajah,  and  while  his  suite  flocked  in,  in  no  very  regular 
order,  and  occupied  the  places  assigned  them.  All  sat  down 
when  the  signal  was  given,  and  the  Durbar  was  opened.  Then 
Major  Henderson  came  forward,  and  accompanied  by  Mr.  Lyall, 
the  Governor-General's  Agent  for  Eajpootana,  together  with 
the  Resident  here,  led  up,  one  by  one,  and  introduced  to  the 
Prince  the  principal  nobles  of  the  State  of  Jeypore. 

A  pretty  spectacle  was  that  which  we  now  witnessed.  Chief- 
Kins  in  all  their  magnificence  coming  forward  one  after  another 


322  WITH  THE   PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

to  the  foot  of  the  dais,  handing  a  card,  on  which  their  names 
were  inscribed,  to  the  Resident,  and  then,  when  announced, 
ascending  the  steps,  presenting  an  offering  of  a  gold  piece  of 
money  to  the  Prince,  with  a  low  bow,  waiting  while  he  touched 
it,  Eastern  fashion,  and  then,  with  many  indications  of  humility 
and  loyalty,  with  much  patting  of  the  forehead  and  many  bows, 
retiring  backwards  and  making  way  for  other  chiefs.  I  did  not 
notice  that  any  distinction  was  made.  In  coming  up  the  steps 
they  were  received  by  the  Prince  sitting,  and  each  retired 
backwards.  But  when  the  presentation  was  over  two  were 
called  up  and  presented  with  a  medal  by  his  Royal  Highness,  a 
word  being  said  to  each  indicative  of  the  approval  of  the  Queen 
of  England.  I  fancied  they  looked  a  little  puzzled  at  the  cere- 
mony, and  wondered  whether  it  conveyed  a  title  such  as  Mr. 
John  Jones  or  Mr.  William  Smith  receives  when  a  sword  is 
placed  on  his  shoulders  and  he  is  told  to  rise ;  but  it  was  a 
cheap  mode  of  decoration,  and  was,  at  any  rate,  a  distinction. 
I  know  that  there  are  those  who  will  contend  that  this  was 
not  a  Durbar  in  the  right  sense  of  the  word  at  all.  There  was 
one  old  gentleman  whose  liver  had  suffered  the  variations  of  an 
Indian  climate  for  seven-and-twenty  years,  who  was  dreadfully 
irate  because  the  Prince  did  not  take  his  gold  pieces  and  give 
something  in  exchange.  But  when  I  suggested  that  the  money 
— gold  mohurs — would  have  been  almost  useless  to  His  Royal 
Highness,  even  if  an  attendant  had,  by  the  close  of  the  present- 
ation, filled  a  small  bag  with  them,  and  that  the  only  equivalent 
present  which  the  Prince  could  have  made  in  return  would 
have  taken  the  form  of  a  number  of  telescopes  or  concertinas, 
that  old  gentleman's  wrath  took  another  form,  and  he  declared 
against  the  visit  and  all  its  belongings.  While  he  was  thus 
inveighing,  however,  another  ceremony  was  going  on,  and  Lord 
Alfred  Paget  was  called  up,  presented  to  the  Maharajah,  and 
wreathed  with  a  garland  of  flowers ;  similarly,  too,  Sir  Bartle 
Frere's  neck  was  adorned,  and  then  a  noble  went  round,  accom- 


TIGER  SHOOTING  AND  A  DUBBAB.  323 

panied  by  an  attendant,  who  carried  a  huge  basket  of  blossoms, 
and  threw  a  wreath  over  the  necks  of  the  suite  and  the  hussar 
officers  who  accompanied  them.  Then  there  was  some  conver- 
sation, the  band  played  Brinley  Richards'  Welsh  air,  and  the 
Prince,  shaking  hands  with  the  Maharajah,  left  the  hall  for  the 
dining-room. 

The  scene  of  the  banquet  was  not  artistically  beautiful.  I 
have  before  remarked  on  the  disadvantages  and  defects  of  Indian 
decorative  painting.  There  is  a  freedom  about  it,  an  absence  of 
regard  for  economy,  a  lavish  waste  of  colour,  which,  however 
satisfactory  to  the  Eastern  mind,  does  not  fill  the  traveller  with 
delight.  The  ceiling  of  the  "  European  room,"  close  by,  was 
undoubtedly  a  great  success ;  but  then  it  had  been  designed  by 
an  Englishman,  and  if  nine-tenths  of  the  chandeliers  and  lamps 
in  the  apartment  could  have  been  thrown  out  of  the  win- 
dows—if a  selection  could  have  been  made  from  the  musical 
instruments  in  the  room,  comprising  a  musical  snuff-box,  an 
organ,  a  piano,  a  harmonium,  a  whistling  mechanical  bird,  an 
accordion,  and  a  drum,  it  would  have  been  still  further  improv- 
ed; but  to  make  the  banqueting  hall  look  better  one  would 
require  to  take  down  the  ceiling  and  put  up  another  with  only 
one-hundredth  part  of  the  paint  upon  it.  Still,  if  the  room  was 
not  tasteful,  the  table  was  prettily  laid  in  Russian  fashion,  and 
the  banquet  which  followed  was  not  unworthy  of  it.  Much 
more  pleasant  still  was  the  arrival  of  the  Maharajah  just  as  the 
ladies  were  leaving,  and  his  taking  a  seat  at  the  right  hand  of 
the  Prince.  Unlike  the  ruler  of  Gwalior,  he  of  Jeypore,  how- 
ever, is  no  speaker ;  and  thus  it  was  that  he  proposed  the  healths 
of  the  Queen  and  the  Prince  successively  in  one  word,  drinking 
a  full  bumper  of  champagne  to  each,  and  then  beaming  through 
his  gold  spectacles  on  the  assembled  company.  How  the  Prince 
replied  is  not  matter  of  singular  importance.  The  most  notable 
thing  his  Royal  Highness  said  was  that  he  thanked  his  host 
for  giving  him  the  opportunity  of  shooting  his  first  tiger — a 


324  *  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

remark  which  was,  of  course,  heartily  applauded  by  every  cour- 
tier present. 

And  then,  with  cigars  and  hookahs,  a  quiet  half-hour  was 
sp$nt — comparatively  so  would,  perhaps,  be  the  better  expression, 
for  to  beguile  the  time,  the  Maharajah  had  ordered  in  a  juggler 
who  had  certain  eccentricities  of  no  mean  order.  This  worthy 
could  put  a  decanter  of  water  on  his  head,  and,  by  the  simple 
movement  of  his  eyebrows,  work  it  round  the  nape  of  his  neck, 
over  his  ears,  past  his  nose,  and  so  up  to  the  apex  of  the  skull 
once  more ;  and  it  was  a  highly  entertaining  diversion  to  watch 
the  decanter  slowly  moving  round  the  edge  of  that  vagrant 
juggler.  Then  a  gentleman  was  introduced  who,  similarly  to 
one  at  Calcutta,  essayed  to  play  two  little  trumpets  with  his 
neck.  A  kind  of  "There  is  no  deception,  gentlemen"  ex- 
pression pervaded  this  worthy  man's  face,  and  the  Maharajah 
proceeded  to  explain  that  this  performance  was  called  Nasata- 
ranga,  and  that  it  was  achieved  by  the  swelling  of  the  veins  in 
the  player's  neck,  and  thus  by  the  forcible  propulsion  of  air 
through  the  tubes  of  the  trumpets.  But  the  player  had  not 
counted  upon  the  guests ;  at  any  rate,  he  had  not  quite  expected 
to  meet  Dr.  Fayrer,  for  when  that  gentleman  took  down  a 
candle  from  a  girandole,  and  attempted  to  hold  it  before  the 
end  of  one  of  the  trumpets,  to  see  if  any  air  was  really  blown 
through,  the  player,  who  saw  his  "  occupation  gone,"  resisted, 
and  could  only  be  compelled  by  a  direct  order  to  submit.  Where- 
upon he  did  so  with  a  very  ill-grace ;  no  air  came  through,  and 
in  the  end  he  was  pronounced  a  ventriloquist  and  an  impos- 
tor, and  told  to  begone. 

All  this  being  happily  settled,  an  adjournment  took  place  to 
a  courtyard,  where  a  tedious  Nautch  dance  took  place,  amongst 
the  performers  being  an  ancient  dame  of  some  fifty  summers, 
whose  only  qualification  appeared  to  be  that  her  eyes  stared 
more  violently,  her  feet  moved  more  irregularly,  and  her  twirl- 
ing and  jumping  were  more  erratic  than  anybody  else's.    How- 


TIGER  SHOOTING  AND  A   DURBAR  325 

ever,  a  native  told  me  that  she  was  the  greatest  dmiseuse  in 
Jeypore,  so  I  forbore  to  make  further  comment.  If  her  dancing 
was  ridiculous,  the  music  was  as  bad,  and  so  was  a  performance 
on  musical  basins  which  followed,  so  that  on  the  whole  nobody 
was  particularly  sorry  when  his  Royal  Highness  called  for  his 
carriage,  and  gave  the  signal  for  departure. 

The  Sunday  following  was  spent  in  a  visit  to  the  ruins  of 
Ambair,  the  Royal  party  picnicing  among  the  ruins  of  Jey 
Singh's  ancient  city,  and  visiting  the  Temple  of  Silla  Deva, 
where  once  men  were  slaughtered,  but  now  only  goats ;  and  a 
very  eminent  Brahmin  sang  a  sacred  song  in  his  loudest  and 
most  discordant  manner.  Next  day  the  Prince  departed  for 
Agra  once  more,  this  time  with  a  view  of  proceeding  to  the 
Terai,  with  a  portion  of  his  suite,  on  a  three  weeks'  shooting 
excursion. 


CHAPTEK  XXXIII 

scindia's  welcome. 

It  was  early  in  1872  when,  one  evening,  remembered  Still 
by  all  who,  coming  from  the  mother  country,  reside  in  Gwalior, 
a  distinguished  company  assembled  to  dine  in  the  Palace  of  the 
Maharajah  Scindia.  The  banquet  over,  decanters  of  wine  were 
circulated,  glasses  filled,  and  silence  procured  \  whereupon  the 
ruler  of  the  State  entered,  a  huge  silver  bowl  in  his  right  hand, 
and  essayed  to  make  a  speech.  Its  language  was  Hindostanee, 
but  its  subject-matter  British.  In  terms  of  loyal  affection 
Scindia  spoke  of  the  Sovereign  to  whom  he  owed  allegiance, 
whose  troops  had  rescued  him  from  the  blood-thirsty  Tantia 
Topee,  whose  representative  had  restored  him  to  his  throne. 
And  then,  without  pause,  he  told  his  hearers  how  that  good 
Queen's  eldest  son,  once  stricken  by  fever,  had  at  length  re- 
covered, and,  amid  loud  shouts,  proposed  the  health  and  long 
life  of  the  Prince  of  Wales.  How  Sirdir  and  Chieftain  vied 
with  Resident  and  English  official  in  obeying  that  call  need  not 
now  be  told.  Next  morning  came  the  news  that  Lord  Mayo 
was  killed,  and  all  that  day  minute  guns  told  of  Scindia's  loyal 
grief.  From  that  time  to  this  the  ruler  of  Gwalior  has  been 
one  of  the  most  trusted  of  the  feudatories  of  the  Queen ;  and 
that  he  should  receive  special  recognition  at  the  hands  of  the 
Prince  was  therefore  to  be  expected.  At  length  the  long-talk- 
ed-of  Royal  visit  to  his  dominion  took  place. 

Looking  from  my  coign  of  vantage  on  the  back  of  an  elephant. 
I  saw  on  both  sides  of  the  street  that,  although  it  yet  wanted 
some  hours  to  the  Prince's  arrival,  the  inhabitants  were  perched 
in  their  windows,  and  gazing  complacently  into  the  road.    The 


SCINDIA'S    WELCOME.  327 

natives  were  chatting  together,  patting  their  scarfs,  adjusting 
their  white  turbans,  or  squatting  on  their  haunches,  full  of  joy 
at  finding  themselves  so  respectably  attired,  and  so  unmistak- 
ably the  observed  of  all  observers.  They  were  in  the  very  van 
of  the  procession,  too ;  to  the  keeping  of  each  had  been  entrust- 
ed a  bright  silver  javelin,  and  the  ladies  of  Gwalior  were  look- 
ing at  them  through  the  blinds  of  the  upper  windows,  or,  more 
adventurously  still,  were  popping  their  heads  out  every  now  and 
then,  and  peering  between  their  fingers  at  the  gallants  in  the 
road.  What  mattered  it  to  them  that  for  seven  hours  they  had 
to  wait  in  the  broiling  sun  1  Was  not  the  approval  of  these  re- 
condite damsels  a  full  reward  ?  If  they  did  not  think  so,  those 
who  followed  them,  and  wore  red  turbans  and  long  yellow  coats, 
did ;  for  if  ever  contentment  was  portrayed,  it  was  on  the  faces 
of  these  last-named  owners  of  ancient  matchlocks.  They  also 
sat  down  in  the  centre  of  the  road,  hardly  deigning  to  move 
when  the  broad  feet  of  the  elephants  threatened  to  annihilate 
them,  willing  to  do  and  suffer  anything  rather  than  lay  down 
their  muskets  and  flee.  A  little  further  on  were  some  scores  of 
camels,  all  standing  two  by  two  in  expectation  of  orders ;  be- 
hind these  again  were  fifty  of  the  Maharajah's  horses,  all  gaily 
caparisoned  and  led  by  servants  in  uniform.  Then  there  were 
men  carrying  red  flags,  and  others  with  white  silk  banners; 
there  were  more  javelin-men,  and  more  who  bore  matchlocks; 
then  a  number  of  elephants,  and  after  that  chieftains  and  at- 
tendants galore.  This  end  of  the  procession  was  hard  by  the 
old  palace  of  Scindia ;  its  head  was  scarcely  half  a  mile  from 
the  new  one  just  built. 

It  is  not  easy  to  tell  you  how  excited  the  good  people  of 
Gwalior  were  at  all  these  preparations.  They  were  simply 
beside  themselves  with  joy  at  the  prospect  of  seeing  the  pro- 
mised show.  Apparently  they  had  invited  all  their  friends, 
too,  not  charging  for  good  seats  as  the  more  practical  people  of 
Birmingham  or  Sheffield  would  have  done,  but  turning  their 


328  WITH  THE  PEINCE  IN  INDIA. 

stores  upside  down,  desiring  their  friends  and  acquaintances  to 
come  and  rejoice  in  the  very  best  windows  they  had  got. 
Merry  they  were  beyond  a  doubt,  after  the  fashion  of  their  kind, 
sitting  closely  together,  clasping  their  hands  and  beaming  with 
silent  delight  all  the  day  long. 

At  the  new  palace  itself  a  different  scene  was  occurring. 
There  the  Europeans  of  the  district  were  taking  their  places  in 
corridors  situate  over  the  grand  gateway  in  expectation  of  the 
pageant.  Hundreds  of  native  workmen  were  putting  a  finish- 
ing touch  to  the  interior  decorations,  hundreds  were  outside 
hanging  up  lamps  for  illuminations.  The  building,  which  was 
as  yet  barely  finished,  looked  like  nothing  so  much  as  Bucking- 
ham Palace  repainted.  From  the  railings  outside  to  the  flag- 
staff on  the  roof  there  was  scarcely  any  difference,  only  that,  in 
place  of  the  stone  quadrangle  inside,  there  was  a  handsome 
garden,  prettily  laid  out  in  European  fashion,  boasting  a  splen- 
did fountain  and  some  beautiful  marble  work.  But  Bucking- 
ham Palace  has  no  such  apartment  as  Scindia's  great  drawing- 
room.  Upon  this  the  ingenuity  of  a  distinguished  gentleman 
named  Fellowes  had  been  wholly  exhausted  ;  its  Persian  carpet, 
upon  which  two  thousand  people  might  comfortably  stand,  was 
of  the  richest  hue  and  the  most  costly  work  ;  over  the  back  of 
the  gilded  chairs  hung  the  rarest  cloth  of  gold ;  its  furniture 
was  of  the  newest  and  the  best.  On  the  walls  were  handsome 
mirrors ;  all  its  pillars  glistened  with  gold  ;  the  dome-like  ceil- 
ing, nearly  a  hundred  feet  from  the  floor,  was  chased  with 
delicate  tints  and  gilt,  and  if  there  was  a  chandelier  too  many 
the  light  was  all  the  brighter.  I  have  not  seen  a  drawing- 
room  so  beautiful  in  India,  and  cannot  call  to  mind  its  equal 
anywhere.  Branching  away  from  this  were  corridors  leading 
to  the  rooms  wherein  were  gold  toilet  services,  baths  of  silver, 
all  kinds  of  contrivances  for  making  life  delightful,  even  to 
bottles  of  scent  whereof  the  labels  proclaimed  that  they  were 
"  The  Prince  of  Wales'  own  Bouquet," 


SCINDIA'S    WELCOME.  329 

How  what  but  a  week  or  two  since  was  an  unfinished  mass 
of  stone  had  been  converted  into  this  palatial  retreat,  one  could 
not  imagine,  unless  upon  the  supposition  that  the  7,000  work- 
men who  had  been  employed  had  worked  with  quintupled 
energy,  or  that  Scindia  had  for  a  moment  or  two  got  hold  of  the 
veritable  wishing  cap.  Anyway,  there  the  palace  was,  with  a 
grand  garden  in  front  as  well  as  one  in  the  centre,  all  the  rooms 
furnished,  guards  of  honour  mounted,  the  mechanical  singing 
birds  whistling  melodiously  on  the  drawing-room  tables,  ser- 
vants all  in  their  places,  and  nothing  wanting  except  the  Prince, 
then  on  his  way  to  Gwalior,  on  the  high  road.  For  as  to  Jum- 
moo,  so  to  Scindia's  capital,  no  railway  runs ;  but  some  seventy 
and  odd  miles  have  to  be  traversed  by  carriages  which  do  not 
always  avoid  ruts  and  holes.  The  Prince,  however,  did  not 
suffer  from  the  rugged  track ;  he  had  a  comfortable  carriage  on 
light  springs,  which  heeded  none  of  these  things  :  nor,  indeed, 
were  we  who  had  to  sit  in  the  humbler  dakgharry  so  un- 
comfortable as  when  on  the  rougher  road  to  Jummoo;  yet 
seventy-two  miles,  in  the  morning  by  horse  conveyances,  is 
dot  the  happiest  prelude  to  an  elephant  ride  of  seven 
miles,  and  it  was  well  that  Scindia's  palace  boasted  armchairs 
and  lounges  in  plenty  for  the  weary  ones  who  were  hourly  ex- 
pected— the  more  so  as  a  State  dinner  was  fixed  for  the- 
evening,  at  which  the  Prince  must  be  present.  Gradually 
the  day  declined,  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  in  the  corridors  took 
tea,  the  lamps  which  were  placed  on  every  line  of  the  palace 
were  lit,  darkness  came  on,  and  still  the  procession  waited. 
At  length  a  sound  of  cannon  was  heard,  and  presently  the 
shouting  of  crowds  announced  that  the  Prince  was  really  at 
hand ;  by  the  light  of  inumerable  torches  we  could  discern  the 
moving  mass  of  colour  as  it  pressed  towards  the  palace  gates 
and  waited  the  approach  of  the  Shahazada. 

Nor  was  there  now  long  to  wait.     The  wind  blowing  on  the 
verandah  brought  with  it  the  sound  of  tom-tom  and  reed,  of 

21 


330  WITH  THE  PBINCE  IN  INDIA. 

trumpets  and  of  cheers.  A  long  line  of  lights,  too,  was  seen 
approaching.  The  Queen's  son  was  very  near.  On  came  the 
procession;  the  javelin-men,  preceded  by  players  upon  the  in- 
struments which  the  Hindoo  loves,  holding  their  spears  aloft  in 
the  air,  and  moving  with  no  unconsidered  shuffle,  but  a  stately 
tramp !  and  on  came  also  their  companions  with  their  matchlocks, 
the  camels  and  the  horses  moreover,  the  steeds  prancing  just  as 
the  stately  animals  do  when  in  an  Eastern  wedding  procession 
they  precede  the  bridegroom.  Nor  were  the  men  with  the 
banners  less  conscious  of  the  dignity  of  their  position.  No 
matter  to  them  that  the  evening  was  advancing ;  it  was  the 
first  time  in  their  lives  that  they  had  had  so  much  honour. 
The  white  sahibs  up  in  the  corridor  might  be  impatient,  but 
they  were  not.  The  palace  courtyard  would  end  their  dignity, 
and  they  were  in  no  hurry  to  reach  it.  But  the  Royal  elephants 
must  come  on,  and  at  last  they  were  in  sight,  each  bearing  its 
own  lanterns,  and  moving  with  majestic  step.  Ox>  the  first  of 
them— in  a  bright  silver  howdah,  upon  which  the  lights  of  the 
torches  flashed — sat  the  Prince,  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
Maharajah,  with  General  Sir  Richard  Daly  behind,  as  intei- 
preter-in-chief.  And  following  these  were  the  suite  of  the 
Prince  and  that  of  the  Ruler  of  Gwalior,  all  forming  a  grand 
array  of  distinguished  personages.  The  10th  Hussars,  more- 
over, were  on  either  side  of  them ;  in  rear  were  more  bands, 
far-extending  masses  of  cavalry,  and  behind  all,  the  surging 
astonished  crowd,  hand  in  hand,  pressing  on,  and  wondering 
why  the  great  Maharajah  should  thus  receive  the  Prince  Sahib. 
Then  sounded  out  the  National  Anthem  played  by  an  English 
band ;  then  English  ladies  waved  their  handkerchiefs  and  Eng- 
lish gentlemen  their  hats  ;  then  the  Prince  graciously  returned 
the  welcome  accorded  him  by  a  band  of  countrywomen  and 
countrymen,  and  so  passed  on  into  the  palace  garden,  dismounted 
from  his  elephant,  was  led  by  Scindia  to  the  Royal  apartments, 
and  then  left  to  preside  at  the  feast  which  followed: 


SCINDIA'S    WELCOME.  331 

That  India  is  held  by  the  merest  handful  of  white  people  is 
sufficiently  clear  to  all  who  have  travelled  over  its  length  and 
breadth,  and,  indeed  to  those  who  have  not.  But  never  was 
the  singular  nature  of  our  position  so  clearly  demonstrated  as 
when  we  saw  Scindia's  army  dra>*o  up  in  review  order  undei 
the  shadow  of  the  fort  and  close  by  his  palace.  "We  had  been 
told  that  as  a  soldier  the  Maharajah  has  few  superiors;  Sii 
William  Mansfield  had  years  ago  wished  that  all  our  brigadiers 
were  the  equal  of  the  enterprising  Mahratta ;  but  it  remained 
for  us  to  see  the  pitch  of  perfection  to  which  a  native  Prince 
could  bring  his  troops.  At  Cashmere  we  had  seen  thousands  oi 
soldiers,  but  they  were  little  better  than  barbarians ;  in  the 
South,  the  troops  of  the  Nizam  had  failed  to  impress  those  of  us 
who  entered  Hyderabad  territory  with  anything  approaching 
awe;  we  had  yet  to  see  the  Gwalior  army,  and  judge  of  it.  A 
great  surprise,  awaited  us. 

It  was  scarcely  seven  o'clock  when,  on  mounting  our  ele- 
phants and  proceeding  to  the  parade  ground,  we  found  the  army 
of  Scindia  drawr  up  ir  review  order.  Five  strong  battalions, 
numbering  quite  a  thousand  a  piece,  were  in  the  front  line ;  in 
rear  were  three  regiments  of  cavalry  and  four  batteries  of 
artillery — as  admirable  i.  brigade  as  could  be  desired  in  point 
of  numbers-  Ten  minutes  later  Scindia  himself,  accompanied 
by  a  trumpeter,  arrived  on  the  ground,  and  was  received  by 
his  suite,  already  in  front  of  the  troops.  He  had  scarcely  taken 
his  place  before  guns  announced  that  the  Prince  was  near, 
whereupon  Scindia  went  to  meet  his  distinguished  visitor,  and 
very  quickly  conducted  him  into  the  field.  I  am  afraid  to  say 
how  many  spectators  there  were.  The  thousands  who  had 
turned  out  at  this  early  hour  moved  constantly  from  one  part  of 
the  ground  to  the  other,  their  gay  turbans  and  bright  dresses 
mingling  till  they  looked  like  the  colours  which  a  well-filled 
kaleidoscope  shows.  The  English  were  mostly  on  elephants,  of 
which  there  were  great  numbers,  and  the  tinkling  of  the  bell* 


332  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

which  hung  from  the  howdahs  added  to  the  brightness  and 
pleasantness  of  the  scene. 

I  need  not  tell  you  that  the  Prince  went  round  the  troops, 
and  closely  inspected  them.  Scindia  follows  European  usages 
too  closely  to  permit  of  such  a  custom  being  broken.  It  is  of 
the  march  past  I  would  speak.  We  had  already  heard  of  the 
excellence  of  the  Maharajah's  artillery,  and  were  consequently 
glad  to  see  it  preparing  to  come  by.  But  what  will  be  thought 
at  home  when  it  is  known  that  to  the  sound  of  "  The  British 
Grenadiers,"  played  by  a  band  just  opposite  the  flagstaff,  a 
battery  of  horse  artillery  came  by,  equal  in  drill,  precision,  and 
appearance  to  some  of  our  best  troops  in  the  A  brigade? 
Work  on  the  "  pivot  system,"  indeed  1  Here  was  a  battery 
which  could  go  over  the  ground  in  a  manner  which  would  put 
the  best  artillery  in  France  or  Germany  to  shame.  Those  who 
in  1874  saw  the  gunners  -that  Von  Moltke  could  show  went 
home  disappointed.  There  was  no  one  disappointed  here.  Old 
soldiers  who  had  seen  a  score  oi  fights,  and  whose  home  was  the 
parade  ground,  ejaculated,  *  Beautiful !  *  and  Scindia  looked 
proud  as  he  left  their  head  and  took  his  place  by  the  Prince's 
side.  And  yet  another  battery  was  close  at  hand,  almost  if 
not  quite  so  good,*the  six  guns  going  by  as  one,  every  horseman 
in  his  place,  every  sword  in  a  line.  Nor  were  the  two  bullock 
batteries  which  followed  with  heavier  guns  at  all  to  be  despised. 
The  men  marched  past  as  well  as  the  best  troops  in  the  world, 
and  I  saw  nothing  at  Delhi  to  beat  the  drivers.  Scindia  may 
not  have  known  why  he  sent  his  artillery  past  first ;  he  may 
have  only  imitated  the  English,  because  he  considered  them  the 
best  models  to  copy ;  but  he  certainly  opened  the  review  in  a 
way  which  surprised  everybody  present.  Shall  I  add  that  his 
artillerymen  wore  a  uniform  exactly  like  the  undress  of  the 
Royal  regiment  in  England,  and  that  at  a  very  short  dis- 
tance it  would  have  been  impossible  to  distinguish  them  froni 
European  gunners  2    Then  came  the  cavalry,  three  regiments, 


SCINDIA'S   WELCOME.  333 

each  containing  four  sqadrons,  the  first  two  being  hussars,  with 
the  pivot  men  carrying  lances,  and  the  last  lancers  entirely. 
On  they  swept  with  marvellous  precision,  their  officers  wearing 
the  white  English  helmet  and  the  golden  red-striped  sash,  as  do 
the  gentlemen  who  carry  her  Majesty's  commission.  I  could 
see  nothing  in  point  of  uniform  or  movement  to  distinguish 
these  men  from  the  best  Punjabee  cavalry  we  had  been  shown 
a  few  days  before  by  Lord  Napier.  The  most  captious  critic 
could  see  nothing  to  exercise  his  skill  upon ;  the  regiments 
were  perfect.  I  for  one  could  certainly  find  no  fault  with  their 
movements  to  the  tune  of  "  Annie  Lisle."  The  Queen's  Guards 
may  claim  the  tune,  but  even  they  would  scarcely  grudge  their 
regimental  air  to  such  soldierly  men. 

But  if  we  admired  Scindia's  cavalry  and  artillery,  our  praise 
was  by  no  means  decreased  when  the  infantry  came  by.  We 
could  perceive  them  forming  up  on  our  left,  we  could  see  the 
Pioneers  preceding  them,  we  could  hear  the  "  British  Grena- 
diers." We  were  fain  to  cheer  loudly  as,  with  bayonets  in  exact 
line,  they  came  on  with  a  steadiness  that  our  best  troops  could 
not  surpass.  I  have  seen  Chasseur  battalions  go  past  in  far 
less  soldierly  fashion ;  I  have  even  witnessed  parades  at  Alder- 
shot  reviews  that  I  should  not  have  liked  a  severe  critic  to 
attend ;  but  these  native  regiments  could  afford  to  defy  inspec- 
tion. The  finest  battalion,  moreover,  wore  the  English  dress? 
helmet  and  all.  I  noticed  that  they  were  well  shod,  and  that 
their  uniforms  had  been  carefully  looked  to.  Even  their  com- 
rades who  had  only  the  English  forage  cap  elicited  loud  exclama- 
tions of  praise ;  they  could  but  be  admired.  And  when  they 
had  all  gone  past  there  was  but  one  opinion  about  them  all — 
unqualified  admiration.  Of  the  gallop  past  I  need  say  no  more 
than  that  it  was  excellent. 

The  main  interest  now  centred  in  a  sham  fight,  and  the 
troops  were  instantly  divided  into  two  equal  portions,  the  com- 
mander-in-chief holding  a  ridge  in  front  of  Gwalior,   while 


334  WITH   THE  PBINOE  IN  INDIA. 

Scindia  prepared  to  attack  it.  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  that 
the  result  was  not  known  beforehand.  He  woulu  be  a  bold 
subject  who  would  presume  to  defeat  his  master  in  presence  of 
a  Royal  visitor,  and  a  disloyal  one  into  the  bargain.  But  if  it 
was  arranged  that  Scindia  should  be  the  conquerer  in  his  own 
dominion,  there  was,  at  any  rate,  the  opportunity  afforded  of 
seeing  how  the  troops  could  work  in  the  field.  There  are  those 
of  us  who  have  been  present  at  some  funny  spectacles  at  Alder- 
shot,  who  have  seen  batteries  disposed  of,  and  positions  taken 
in  a  way  which  would  have  made  us  rub  our  eyes  and  wonder 
what  it  all  meant,  if  we  had  not  known  that  the  whole  thing 
was  intended  simply  for  a  pretty  show  to  amuse  some  potential 
visitor.  Do  none  of  us  remember  the  famous  battle  in  the  Long 
Valley,  when  the  Czar  of  All  the  Russias  was  amused  by  im- 
possible cavalry  charges,  and  wonderful  artillery  defeats  ?  Let 
us  not  be  too  harsh  upon  Scindia,  who  wanted  to  please  the 
Prince  and  exhibit  his  soldiers.  At  any  rate,  he  hid  his  men 
well  behind  some  excellent  cover,  and  if  the  bullocks  which 
drew  the  heavy  cannon  into  position  were  exposed  to  rifle-fire 
within  a  few  hundred  yards,  what  of  that  1  Do  not  our  friends 
the  Germans  do  likewise  with  their  horses  ?  I  am  told  that 
all  the  men  we  saw  were  armed  with  old  percussion-cap  muskets. 
If  so  the  skirmishers  which  appeared  on  the  right  of  Scindia's 
enemy  fired  very  quickly,  and  had  better  not  be  trusted  with 
the  Snider.  Worse  practice  has  been  often  made  with  breach- 
loading  weapons.  And  as  for  the  artillery,  it  may  have  been 
placed  in  peril  now  and  then  unnecessarily,  as  it  moved  forward 
to  support  the  attack.  General  Lysons  could  tell  you  of  a  certain 
opponent  of  his  who  once  upon  Fox  Hill  exposed  his  guns  in 
similar  fashion ;  and  Colonel  Basden,  at  Delhi,  the  other  day, 
not  only  endangered  but  actually  lost  his  battery.  Altogether 
there  was  not  a  great  deal  to  find  fault  with.  A  cavalry  charge 
at  the  far  left  of  the  enemy  was  magnifique,  even  if  it  were  not 
la  guerre,  and  the  infantry  came  over  the  ground  in  admirable 


SCINDIA'S    WELCOME.  335 

style,  although  in  ordinary  fighting  it  would  probably  have 
appeared  there  for  the  very  last  time. 

We  all  knew  Scindia  would  win,  and  so  we  pressed  our 
elephants  forward,  keeping  well  in  a  line  with  the  guns,  which 
rattled  merrily  and  quite  woke  up  such  sleepy  people  as,  still 
remained  in  bed  within  a  radius  of  three  miles.  Indeed,  it  was 
hard  to  persuade  oneself  that  Tantia  Topee  was  not  in  yonder 
wood,  making  ready  to  run  away,  as  he  did  in  the  days  now 
happily  gone.  Fortunately  that  person  is  hanged,  his  followers, 
who  learnt  to  run  after  their  leader,  have  moved  at  such  a  speed 
that  they  will  never  be  found  again,  and  Scindia  is  in  no  dread 
that  the  result  of  any  action  he  may  fight  will  deprive  him  of 
his  throne  or  his  palace.  With  which  cheering  knowledge  the 
efforts  of  the  enemy  to  stop  an  advance  at  any  point  were 
regarded  with  such  complacency  as  could  be  accorded  by  hungry 
men  and  women,  who  felt  that  the  more  the  action  was  prolonged 
the  longer  a  much-wanted  breakfast  was  delayed,  and  eagerly 
desired  the  commander-in-chief  to  throw  up  the  sponge,  hoist 
the  white  flag,  or  surrender,  in  the  politest  Hindostanee,  to  the 
Maharajah.  Some  such  thought  appears  to  have  occurred  to 
the  commander-in-chief  himself,  for  suddenly  he  sent  word  to 
his  batteries  to  waste  powder  no  more,  to  his  battalions  to  pile 
their  arms,  to  his  buglers  to  sound  cease  firing,  and  to  the 
occupiers  of  the  ridge  to  go  home.  Whereupon  all  who  occupied 
the  howdahs  blessed  his  loyal  discretion,  and  forthwith  made 
for  home  to  recount  the  events  of  the  morning  and  prepare  for 
the  levee,  which  presently  took  place  in  the  drawing-room  I 
have  described.  Meanwhile  the  Prince  galloped  up  to  Scindia, 
complimented  him  on  the  appearance  of  his  men,  made  a  neat 
little  speech  to  the  soldiers  also,  and  so  departed  to  the  palace 
himself. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

SCENES  IN  GWALIOR. 

A  day  or  two  later  on  it  was  my  lot  to  come  upon  a  happy 
valley — not  that  which  Rasselas  and  Dinarbas  so  rashly  left, 
but  the  happy  valley  of  Gwalior  Fort — not  much  larger  than 
the  crater  of  Vesuvius,  situated  in  the  very  heart  of  the  famous 
rock  which  stands  in  the  centre  of  Gwalior's  dominions.  On  all 
sides  but  one  it  was  bounded  by  thickly  foliaged  trees ;  but  on 
that  referred  to  there  was  hard  stone,  carved  by  the  Jain 
worshippers  of  old  into  grotesque  idol  figures ;  and  in  the  middle 
of  it  was  a  deep  well.  From  the  eminence  of  the  fort  it  looked 
like  a  huge  trap  into  which  you  might  be  decoyed  for  the  sake 
of  the  umbrageous  shade  with  which  it  abounded,  only  to  lose 
your  life  in  the  almost  hidden  water  below. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning,  some  hours  before  the  Prince 
paid  his  visit  to  the  fort,  that  I  started  from  the  Residency, 
where  I  was  the  guest  of  Colonel  Hutchinson.  A  lofty  rock, 
starting  suddenly  out  of  a  plain,  surmounted  by  battlements, 
some  four  hundred  feet  high,  a  mile  long,  and  in  some  places 
half  as  broad — such  was  the  place  to  which  we  were  directed. 
Had  we  gone  straight  to  the  foot  of  the  pathway  which  leads 
from  the  native  town  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  at  which  spot 
two  elephants  were  waiting  to  convey  us  to  the  summit,  our 
task  would  have  been  comparatively  light.  But  my  companion 
was  an  Indian  archaeologist  of  note,  a  member  of  the  Council  of 
Orientalists,  and  he  had  heard  that  on  the  outer  scrap  of  the 
rock,  on  the  eastern  side,  were  some  Jain  figures,  compared 
with  which  all  that  had  been  seen  by  other  travellers  faded  into 
insignificance  :  and  at  his  suggestion  I  agreed  to  scale  the  side 
and  inspect  the  sculptures. 


SCENES   IN   GWALIOR  337 

Of  the  Gwalior  caverns,  and  their  carvings,  few  know  any- 
thing, and  none  very  much.  It  may  be  that  the  work  of  explo- 
ration has  not  been  to  tke  taste  of  travellers.  To  reach  them 
you  must  ford  a  somewhat  rapid,  though  fortunately  narrow, 
river,  and  then  climb  up  the  precipitous  face  of  the  rock  till  you 
are  within  a  hundred  feet  of  the  top.  Such  a  labour  on  a  broil- 
ing day  is  not  seductive,  and  few  have  taken  the  trouble  to 
attempt  it.  In  crossing  the  river  we  were  fortunate.  A  pony 
was  offered  us,  and  one  or  other  would  probably  have  mounted 
and  essayed  to  ride,  when,  without  warning,  the  intractable 
beast  rushed  into  the  stream,  and,  lying  down  in  the  water,  re- 
fused to  move  This  settled  the  question,  and  we  went  over  on 
foot  forthwith.  How  we  clambered  up,  slipping  here  and  tumbl- 
ing there,  how  we  penetrated  bushes,  and  clutched  at  stumps  of 
trees,  need  not  be  dilated  upon.  At  length  we  stood  on  a  ledge 
which  faced  the  caves  and  images,  and  were  free  to  inspect  them. 

From  the  point  where  we  stood  we  could  count  a  score  or  so 
oi  sculptured  figures,  each  nearly  forty  feet  high.  Some  were 
sitting  down,  and  some  were  standing  up ;  they  were  most  of 
them  chipped  and  broken  j  but  the  Elephanta  Caves  had  noth- 
ing like  or  equal  to  them,  and  their  counterpart  is  nowhere  to 
be  found.  £  am  almost  afraid  to  say  whom  they  represented. 
A  guide-book,  written  by  the  learned  but  destructive  Baber, 
said  Parisnaut,  but  my  archaeological  friend  triumphantly 
proved,  by  a  close  argument  of  which  I  did  not  understand  a 
single  proposition,  that  they  were  somebody  else,  and  I  am  con- 
tent to  leave  him  master  of  the  field.  I  believe  that  the  identity 
of  these  same  images  for  a  long  time  exercised  the  minds  and 
jeopardised  the  friendship  of  at  least  half  a  dozen  of  the  most 
erudite  archaeologists  in  England,  and  I  therefore  leave  it  in 
uncertainty.  All  I  can  say  is  that,  if  Parisnaut  was  half  as 
ugly,  his  countenance  would  have  told  sadly  against  him  in  the 
Old  Bailey  dock. 

But  the  gods  themselves  were  not  the  only  things  worthy  of 


338  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

note.  The  carving  which  surrounded  them  was  as  marvellous 
as  the  forty-feet  giants  themselves.  Round  their  heads  were 
shields,  over  which  serpents  gazed  wit^  perceptible  awe.  Under 
their  feet  were  animals  of  all  kinds,  while  indescribable  creatures 
were  represented  as  wandering  about  in  a  purposeless  but  very- 
palpable  manner ;  and  at  intervals  of  every  twenty  feet  or  so 
were  hollows,  into  which  we  penetrated,  and  found  steps  leading 
up  into  the  rock,  conducting  us  face  to  face  with  more  divine 
representations ;  while  here  and  there  we  came  to  a  recess  in 
the  wall,  wherein  was  found  a  god  or  goddess  prone,  with  feet 
high  in  the  air,  for  the  devout  to  worship.  Yet  funniest  of  all 
was  the  admixture  of  Mohammedan  shrines,  with  the  Hindoo 
deities.  Four  steps  only  from  a  goddess  who  boasted  the  thickest 
pair  of  lips  I  ever  saw,  and  was  squatted  upon  a  very  bad  imi- 
tation of  a  cobra,  was  the  tomb  of  a  very  devout  follower  of  the 
Prophet,  with  the  convential  ostrich-egg  hanging  over  it,  and  a 
very  bright  gold  cloth  immediately  upon  it  And  undei  the 
very  shade  of  the  most  able-bodied  god  in  the  collection  sat  a 
Mohammeden  fakir,  who  was  just  then  engaged  in  superintend- 
ing the  construction  of  a  model  of  a  tabout,  in  anticipation  of 
the  great  Mohuram  festival  now  close  at  hand,  not  ten  feet 
away  from  a  Brahmin  devotee. 

There  was  the  greatest  possible  contrast  between  the  two. 
Had  the  Mohammedan  harmonised  with  the  place  he  was  in, 
he  should  have  been  covered  with  mud,  and  should  have  whined 
loudly  for  backsheesh.  He  was  quite  clean,  and  if  his  beard 
was  undipped,  as  becomes  a  follower  of  the  Prophet,  his  hair 
was  trimmed.  I  should  think  he  had  washed  his  face  that  very 
morning.  The  only  thing  in  which  he  resembled  his  Hindoo 
brother  was  in  the  anxious  way  in  which  he  looked  for  a  present 
at  the  end.  Perhaps  he  thought  the  Brahminical  fakir  had 
quite  enough  clay  on  his  face  for  any  two  people ;  perhaps  he 
had  some  idea  of  the  comfort  of  religion.  He  did  not  seem  to 
lead  a  life  of  great  self-abnegation.     In  one  of  the  caves  close 


SCENES  IN  GWALIOR.  339 

by  were  his  wife  and  children ;  the  chupatty  he  was  eating  ap- 
peared to  me  to  be  as  well  made  as  the  undivided  attention  of 
an  otherwise  unemployed  man  could  make  it,  and  he  had  as  tooth- 
some a  curry  as  you  would  get  at  the  Madras  Club  in  his  brass 
dish  close  by.  The  only  thing  he  denied  himself  was  work ; 
he  preferred  to  sit  on  a  broken  monument  in  the  sun,  eat  and 
sleep,  sleep  and  eat — only  varying  this  programme  by  holding 
out  his  hand  for  the  alms  of  the  faithful.  The  serenity  of  his 
existence  was  never  perturbed  by  anxiety  for  employment; 
with  the  exception  of  occasionally  taking  a  bath  he  did  abso- 
lutely nothing.  The  Hindoo  was  much  livelier.  The  fates  had 
apparently  not  been  so  kind  to  him.  He  had  no  chupatty,  and 
I  looked  in  vain  for  his  curry ;  he  certainly  had  no  wife,  and  I 
should  say  that  he  had  no  cave  either.  Here  he  was,  the 
nearest  relation  to  the  gods  on  the  rock — a  most  estimable  per- 
son, probably  as  objectionable  an  object  as  could  be  seen  in  a 
day's  march;  ano  yet  he  had  not  even  a  piece  of  betel-nut  to 
chew  Why  was  he  thus  neglected  ?  Nobody  could  say.  He 
made  noise  enough  to  attract  the  attention  of  people  half  a 
mile  off,  yet;  apparently,  they  left  him  to  do  as  best  he  could. 
If  this  state  of  things  were  to  continue,  he  would  have  to  cease 
to  be  holy  and  actually  take  to  labour.  Is  there  no  Hindoo 
Missionary  Society  to  assist  so  pious  a  fakir  ? 

"We  left  him  and  clambered  from  ledge  to  ledge,  inspecting 
the  wonderful  sculptures  of  the  place.  Most  of  them  had  been 
sadly  mutilated  by  the  Mahommedans;  some  of  the  images 
had  lost  all  signs  of  serpents'  heads,  some  of  them  were  nose- 
less, many  had  parted  with  both  hands  and  feet.  Yet  here 
they  stood,  monuments  of  the  work  of  the  seventh  century — a 
permanent  protest  against  the  supposed  barbarism  of  that  age. 
The  execution  was,  in  fact,  most  elaborate — as  fine  as  any  in 
India,  which  is  the  highest  compliment  that  can  be  paid  them. 

Quitting  the  examination  of  the  caves,  we  now  descended 
the  sides  of  the  rock,  and  prepared  to  enter  the  fort  by  what  is 


340  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

facetiously  styled  the  "  road."  I  believe  the  Capel  Curig  ascent 
to  Snowdon  has  been  called  one  before  now,  but  why  such  a 
name  should  be  given  to  the  narrow  pathway  leading  to  the 
top  of  Galior  Fort  which  rises  one  inch  in  four  in  most  places 
— even  more  than  that  in  some — and  is  so  narrow  in  parts  that 
two  elephants  can  hardly  pass  each  other  on  it,  I  cannot  say. 
However,  the  fort  had  to  be  visited ;  and  not  only  the  Prince 
but  all  who  followed  him  mounted  to  the  howdahs,  and  pre- 
sently were  rising  foot  by  foot  at  the  rate  of  about  five  yards  to 
the  minute. 

I  am  bound  to  say  that  the  procession  was  not  a  pleasant 
one.  Occasionally  an  elephant  would  stop,  and  partly  turn 
round,  and  there  was  always  the  possibility  that  one  of  them 
might  take  fright  and  run  backwards,  in  which  event  some  of 
the  party  would  have  had  an  unpleasant  and  unsatisfactory  ad- 
venture. However,  at  last  we  reached  the  top,  and  entering 
the  narrow  gates  very  carefully,  were  carried  into  the  fort, 
The  Happy  Valley  was  behind  us,  a  Jain  temple  before  us  j 
there  was  a  Mohammedan  mosque,  now  used  as  a  powder 
magazine,  close  by,  and  not  very  far  off  was  a  temple  built  in 
the  style  common  to  Southern  India,  but  of  which  there  is 
scarcely  another  specimen  in  the  Northern  and  Central  Pro- 
vinces. Under  the  guidance  of  Major  Gordon  and  the  rest  of 
the  officers  of  the  63rd,  these  curiosities  were  inspected  till  even- 
ing came  on. 

We  were  in  a  huge  enclosure  bounded  on  every  side  by  a 
wall  and  a  precipice;  below  lay  the  town  of  Gwalior,  the 
Maharajah's  Palace,  and  the  English  cantonments  at  Morar. 
"Whichever  way  we  looked  the  panorama  was  magnificent,  and 
extended  for  miles.  We  could  see  the  remains  of  the  batteries 
which  the  English  made  when  Sir  Hugh  Rose  drove  the  rebels 
out  of  the  fort  and  forced  them  to  take  shelter  in  the  jungle. 
We  could  descry  the  battle-field  on  which  Tantia  Topee  suffered 
his  heaviest  defeat.     The  walls  themselves  were  In  ruins,  an 


SCENES  IN   GWALIOR.  341 

agreement  having  been  entered  into  with  Scindia  that  they 
were  not  to  be  repaired ;  but  through  their  crevices  and  over 
their  sides  were  views  of  landscape  such  as  Turner  would  have 
loved,  and  several  of  our  party  stayed  to  sketch.  Unfortunately 
there  was  no  one  in  the  Royal  suite  capable  of  explaining  to  his 
Royal  Highness  the  peculiarities  of  the  buildings  he  saw,  or 
much  that  is  interesting  might  have  been  evolved.  As  it  was, 
the  most  attractive  place  appeared  to  be  the  mess-room  of  the 
hospitable  regiment  which  holds  the  place ;  and  an  embrasure 
about  which  there  was  a  legend  that  in  the  early  days  of  British 
occupation  the  soldiers  used  to  smuggle  in  spirits  from  below  by 
means  of  a  rope  and  a  basket  at  this  spot  and  so  managed  to  be- 
come dreadfully  tipsy.  Legends  of  Jain  and  Brahminical 
temples  there  were  none  related — not  even  the  history  of  the 
Musjid  was  told;  and  as  to  learning  from  any  competent  per- 
son why  old  temples  had  been  patched  in  places  with  older 
stones  taken  no  one  knew  whence,  that  was,  of  course,  impos- 
sible Still,  it  was  pleasant  to  wander  about  amongst  the  ruins, 
and  to  note  the  wonderful  stone  carvings  which  lay  in  heaps 
everywhere,  or  still  remain  in  the  places  where  they  were  put 
in  times  of  which  we  have  but  a  very  dim  historical  record.  In- 
deed, a  whole  week,  instead  of  two  or  three  hours  only,  might 
have  been  profitably  spent  in  examining  the  figures  of  gods  and 
goddesses,  portrayed  in  almost  every  attitude  and  action.  But 
the  time  was  limited ;  the  grandest  dinner  of  the  visit  waitep 
in  the  Fuhlbagh  below,  and  a  hurried  inspection  was  all  we 
could  make. 

It  is  not  likely  that  ever  Gwalior  will  give  us  trouble.  Its 
ruler  knows  too  well,  and  those  who  come  after  him  are  likely 
to  learn,  that  the  English  are  the  best  of  masters.  But,  at  the 
same  time,  prudence  would  suggest  that  it  should  always  have 
at  least  a  battery  of  artillery  in  it,  which  is  not  the  case  just 
now ;  that  its  walls  should  be  restored  and  bastions  erected,  so 
that  its  permanent  possession  should  always  be  a  matter  of  cer- 


342  WITH  TEE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

tainty,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  curious  temples  might  in  some 
way  be  preserved  as  valuable  records  of  an  almost  forgotten 
past. 

But  the  State  banquet- which  was  given  the  Prince  still  re- 
mains in  my  memory  as  the  grandest  and  most  memorable 
feature  of  the  entertainment  which  Scindia  provided  for  the 
Queen's  son.  For  reasons  of  space,  or  rather  the  want  of  it, 
only  three  of  those  of  us  who  have  followed  the  Prince's  move- 
ments in  the  East  were  invited  to  the  dinner.  Scindia's  dining- 
room  is  by  no  means  commensurate  with  the  wants  of  so  hos- 
pitable a  potentate,  and  a  hundred  and  fifty  covers  were  all 
that  could  be  laid.  But  if  the  guests  were  comparatively  few, 
the  occasion  was  none  the  less  important  It  had  been  an- 
nounced that  although  Scindia  could  not,  as  became  a  good 
Hindoo,  eat  with  us  who  profess  to  be  Christians;  his  Highness 
would  come  into  the  banqueting  hall  immediately  after  dinner. 
How  the  feast  therefore  progressed  what  courses  and  what 
viands  were  produced,  it  boots  not  to  tell  The  Prince — who 
had  on  his  right  hand  the  wife  of  General  Hothway,  and  on  his 
left  the  daughter  of  Colonel  Hutchinson,  the  Resident — pre- 
sided, till  the  cloth  was  removed,  when  a  stir  at  the  door 
behind  the  Prince  told  of  the  advent  of  Scindia. 

I  have  purposely  refrained  from  describing  the  ruler  of 
Gwalior,  waiting  till  such  time  as  he  should  appear  in  striking 
contrast  to  those  around  him.  The  banquet  brought  that 
opportunity.  Habited  in  white,  the  Star  of  India  on  his  breast, 
with  a  yellow  Mahratta  turban  on  his  head,  a  pleasant-looking 
gentleman  of  some  forty-five  years  appeared  in  the  hall-entrance, 
accompanied  by  a  single  attendant,  his  Prime  Minister  or 
Dewan.  There  could  be  no  mistake  as  to  who  the  stranger  was, 
his  quiet  but  regal  manner  proclaiming  him  at  once,  and  the 
Prince,  who  by  this  time  was  aware  of  the  presence  of  Scindia, 
jumped  up,  seized  his  Highness  by  both  hands,  and  placed  him 
at  once  in  the  post  of  honour,  the  seat  at  his  own  right  hand. 


SCENES  IN  GWALIOR.  343 

Immediately  upon  this  General  Daly  came  up,  and,  taking  a 
chair  immediately  behind  the  two  illustrious  personages,  began 
to  translate  their  respective  compliments. 

It  was  easy  to  see  that  the  Maharajah  was  almost  overcome 
with  delight  and  excitement.  There  was,  indeed,  some  reason. 
That  morning  his  troops  had  displayed  as  fine  an  appearance  as 
any  in  this  part  of  the  world,  receiving  the  highest  encomiums 
and  he  was  now  in  the  chief  place  at  a  table  round  which  were 
gathered  a  more  illustrious  assembly  than  he  had  ever  before 
met.  For  a  few  minutes  he  remained  talking  to  his  guest, 
while  his  Royal  Highness  lit  a  cigar — the  signal  for  all  present 
to  smoke,  for  the  ladies  had  by  this  time  retired.  Then  up 
jumped  Scindia,  and  spoke  a  few  words  to  Sir  Richard  Daly, 
who  at  once  interpreted  as  follows  :  "  May  it  please  your 
Royal  Highness  and  gentlemen,  his  Highness  the  Maharajah 
wishes  me  to  declare  that  he  feels  profoundly  grateful  to  the 
Queen  for  allowing  her  son  to  come  to  Gwalior  to  see  him  ;  that 
he  desires  to  express  his  profound  loyalty  to  her  Majesty,  and 
to  add  how  deeply  attached  he  is  to  the  English  Throne — he 
calls  upon  you  to  drink  the  health  of  the  Queen."  Of  course 
all  present  responded,  but  somehow  or  other  there  was  a 
hitch — somebody  gave  a  signal  to  the  band,  and  the  National 
Anthem  effectually  stopped  all  attempt  at  a  cheer.  But  Scin- 
dia was  not  disheartened,  and  he  was  up  again  immediately 
afterwards  with  a  bumper  of  champagne  in  his  hand.  This 
time  he  spoke  audibly  in  Hindostanee.  His  voice  was  tremu- 
lous, however,  with  emotion,  and  he  palpably  shook  with  ex- 
citement. "  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I  am  delighted  to  see  his 
Royal  Highness  the  Shahazada  (Queen's  son)  here  to-night.  I 
am  proud  that  he  has  come  to  visit  me,  and  deeply  sensible  of 
the  high  honour  he  has  done  me.  I  wish  him  a  long  life  and 
much  happiness,  and  I  sincerely  hope  that  the  voyage  home  may 
be  a  prosperous  one.  Gentlemen  drink  with  me  the  health  of 
the  Prince  of  "Wales."    He  sank  down  in  his  chair  and  drained 


344  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

his  goblet,  whereat  everybody  else  did  the  same,  and  Brinley 
Richards'  air  was  played. 

It  was  now  the  turn  of  the  Prince  to  speak,  and  he  did  his 
part  well.  Everybody  upstanding,  his  Royal  Highness,  turning 
towards  Scindia,  said  :  "  I  wish  to  call  upon  all  present  to  drink 
to  the  health  of  the  Maharajah.  I  am  delighted  at  what  I  have 
seen  here,  and  at  being  able  to  visit  Gwalior.  I  appreciate  the 
kindness  and  hospitality  of  the  Maharajah,  and  I  shall  not  fail 
to  convey  to  her  Majesty  the  Queen  the  loyal  sentiments  he  has 
uttered.  Gentlemen,  let  us  drink  this  toast  in  the  English 
fashion." — ejaculating  which,  the  Prince  bowed  to  his  host,  and, 
waving  his  glass,  led  the  cheering  himself.  Again  and  again 
was  that  call  responded  to,  for  Scindia's  honest  face  warranted 
it,  and  his  hospitality  had  gained  the  friendship  of  everybody. 
"Five  loud  hurrahs  were,  in  fact,  shouted  out  before  the  company 
sat  down,  and  they  were  only  ended  then  because  the  Prince 
himself  was  tired  of  cheering.  There  was  no  formal  attempt  at 
response — that  was  needless.  But  Scindia  bowed  his  acknow- 
ledgments, and  then,  rising  to  go,  was  conducted  by  the  Prince 
to  a  drawing-room,  whereupon  he  threw  a  garland  of  flowers 
over  the  neck  of  his  Royal  Highness,  and  then  went  to  the  door 
accompanied  by  the  Prince  and  nearly  the  entire  company. 
A  salute  from  the  fort  proclaimed  the  departure,  and  thus  this 
pleasant  episode  ended. 

The  festivities  shortly  after  concluded  with  an  impromptu 
dance,  and  then  a  number  of  us  entered  dakgharries  and  spent 
the  night  in  rumbling  and  tumbling  over  the  road  which  leads 
from  Gwalior  to  Agra. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

HUNTING  IN  THE  JUNGLE. 

For  reasons  best  known  to  themselves,  some  of  the  advisers 
of  the  Prince  decided  that  none  of  the  special  correspondents  of 
the  London  press  should  accompany  him  into  the  Terai  or  to 
Nepaul,  Sir  Jung  Bahadoor's  very  courteous  invitation  notwith- 
standing. However,  there  was  no  difficulty  in  visiting  the 
jungle  alone,  even  without  the  firman  of  that  eccentric  purveyor 
of  Royal  amusements,  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  and  I  am  consequently 
enabled  to  give  you  some  idea  of  what  kind  of  country  it  was 
over  which  the  Prince  shot,  and  in  which  he  spent  some  three 
weeks  of  his  time  in  India.  I  may  premise  this  by  saying,  that 
only  a  few  of  the  Royal  suite  accompanied  the  Prince  into  this, 
the  wildest  portion  of  his  tour,  and  that  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  who, 
was  present  at  the  less  dangerous  "Sports  in  Cashmere," 
excused  himself  from  the  more  manly  sports  of  the  jungle  and 
went  to  Peshawur.  Similarly  Canon  Duckworth,  whom  we  all 
greatly  respected,  went  to  the  frontier  also,  and  one  or  two 
others  chose  different  courses ;  so  that  only  a  portion  of  those 
who  had  figured  in  Royal  processions  through  cities  and  towns 
were  present  when  the  more  serious  work  of  ferreting  out  the 
tiger  in  his  lair  was  undertaken. 

Perhaps  it  is  well  that  I  should  at  once  conduct  you  to  the 
frontier  of  Nepaul,  which  is  cut  off  from  British  dominion 
proper  by  the  river  Sarcla.  This  stream  is  doubtless  at  some 
periods  of  the  year  a  torrent  of  what  Mr.  Disraeli  would  desig- 
nate "  high  consideration."  When  the  rains  swell  it  out,  it 
flows  down  grandly  and  swiftly,  and  there  is  no  doubt  about 
its  claims  to  respect.     When  we  saw  it,  however,  its  right  to 

22 


346  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

admiration  was  not  so  well  proved.  The  nullah  in  which 
it  runs  was  almost  devoid  of  water ;  it  was  a  sluggish,  hesitat- 
ing stream,  with  just  as  much  water  as  would  suffice  to  raise  it 
beyond  the  rank  of  a  brook.  At  a  rough  guess  its  depth  might 
be  fixed  at  about  six  feet  in  the  centre;  and  it  was  about  twenty 
feet  across.  Here  it  was,  then,  that  the  Prince  first  entered 
Nepaulese  territory.  In  front  of  him  ran  the  great  Himalaya 
range,  the  chief  among  the  mountains  in  sight  being  the  stately 
Dhwalaghiri.  Time  was  when  this  great  sugarloaf  peak,  covered 
as  it  is  with  snow,  was  accounted  the  highest  in  the  world,  and 
accordingly  reverenced.  But  long-headed  irreverent  mathe- 
maticians have  since  then  made  calculations,  and,  despite  all 
remonstrance,  have  installed  Mount  Everest  as  queen  of  hills. 
Still  the  huge  eminence  before  you  as  you  cross  the  Sarda  is 
not  to  be  despised.  Twenty-eight  thousand  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  it  towers  aloft  beyond  any  other  rival  within  many 
leagues,  and  it  were  well  worth  the  journey  to  its  base  to  see 
its  cloud-capped  top  and  its  snowy  sides. 

Nor  can  it  be  considered  as  a  valuable  gem  in  an  unworthy 
setting ;  for  wherever  the  eye  turns  rich  verdure,  great  thick 
forests,  and  tall  elephant  grass,  higher  than  the  howdah  in 
which  you  sit,  is  seen.  One  would  as  soon  think  of  looking  for 
a  needle  in  a  haystack  as  a  tiger  here,  and,  indeed  the  search 
would  be-  about  as  fruitless,  were  it  not  that  experience  has 
shown  the  way  by  which  the  brutes  can  be  reached.  Place  but 
a  single  torch  to  the  base  of  a  bunch  of  grass  and  instantly  the 
air  is  full  of  smoke.  With  a  loud  crackle  and  .roar  the  prairie 
burns  wildly,  leaving  here  and  there  a  patch  unconsumed. 
Thither  have  fled  tigers,  leopards,  wild  boars,  bears,  and  all 
other  kinds  of  game,  and  now  your  only  requirement  is  a  steady 
elephant  and  a  sure  rifle.  For  these  jungles  are  by  no  means 
the  peaceful  places  their  appearance  at  first  sight  denotes. 
Enter  any  one  of  the  little  villages  which  dot  the  plain,  and 
without  much  trouble  you  may  almost  invariably  see  the  marks 


BUNTING  IN  THE  JUNGLE.  347 

of  the  lord  of  the  Indian  forest.  Some  cow  which  has  strayed 
a  few  feet  from  the  huts  is  shown  you,  its  neck  marked  by  the 
four  canine  teeth  only  of  the  strong  beast  which  has  killed  it, 
and  purposes  to  return  when  night  falls  to  eat  it.  Occasionally 
the  skull  may  be  found  smashed  by  the  huge  forearm  of  the 
tiger,  but  that  is  not  often.  One  terrible  bite  and  all  is  over ; 
there  is  no  time  for  resistance  or  struggle.  Even  the  thorn 
hedge  by  which  all  villages  are  surrounded  has  been  unavailing 
to  save  the  feeble  victim.  Nepaulese  tigers  are  not  to  be 
baulked  of  their  prey  by  any  such  device.  They  care  no  more 
for  thorn  hedges  than  they  do  for  the  masonry  pillars  which 
are  close  to  the  river,  and  mark  off  Nepaulese  from  British 
territory.  Why  should  they?  They  are  almost  as  numerous 
as  the  half-clad,  half-starved  people  themselves,  and  much  more 
intelligent.  This,  then,  is  the  region  to  which  the  Prince  went 
with  much  ceremony. 

Of  course  Sir  Jung  Bahadoor  met  him,  and  in  the  name  of 
the  Maharajah  presented  a  flowery  address ;  equally,  of  course, 
the  Prince  replied  in  pleasant  terms.  There  were  very  naturally 
references  to  the  Mutiny,  and  to  the  services  of  the  Nepaulese 
Government  in  those  troublesome  times ;  there  were  promises 
of  future  loyalty  on  the  one  side,  and  continued  friendship  on 
the  other.  Then  came  a  review,  in  which  Sir  Jung  Bahadoor's 
troops,  drawn  up  in  line,  acquitted  themselves  much  in  the  same 
way  as  the  soldiers  of  the  Maharajah  of  Cashmere,  and  then  the 
formal  reception  was  over.  But  the  pleasures  of  the  trip  had 
only  just  begun.  As  a  loyal  and  dutiful  subject  of  the  Queen, 
Sir  Jung  Bahadoor  had  determined  to  give  her  eldest  son  some  of 
that  pleasurable  excitement  which  every  true  sportsman  so 
dearly  loves,  and  to  this  end  had  organized  a  grand  hunt  which 
should  cover  all  that  part  of  the  jungle  which  contained  the 
largest  number  of  tigers. 

I  have  already  told  you  what  efforts  the  Maharajah  of  Jey- 
pore  made  to  attract  the  wild  game  of  his  district  to  the  neigh- 


348  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

bourhood  of  his  capital ;  it  is  only  fair  to  add  that  the  Mahara- 
jah of  Nepaul  had  more  successfully  exerted  himself.  All  the 
means  he  could  devise  were  put  in  motion,  all  the  tigers  he 
could  drive  into  a  good  position  for  the  Royal  rifle  were  driven 
up,  and  all  the  elephants  he  had  were  placed  at  the  service  of 
the  Prince.  One  unhappy  result  was  arrived  at  through  these 
very  precautions.  As  a  general  rule  this  vast  mass  of  elephants 
so  intimidated  the  tigers  that  they  absolutely  refused  to  move, 
and  were  shot  where  they  crouched  for  cover.  Very  generally 
the  wretched  animals  were  pointed  out  to  the  Prince,  who  forth- 
with fired  at  them  at  a  safe  but  certain  distance  and  so  killed 
them.  Once,  however,  a  tiger  charged  his  Royal  Highness' 
elephant.  Up  it  sprang,  well  nigh  into  the  howdah  in  which 
the  Prince  was  standing ;  the  elephant  turned  its  flank ;  the 
Mahout  was  frightened,  and  there  was  for  a  moment  some  peril. 
But  getting  into  the  howdah  is  a  very  different  matter — for  a 
tiger — from  climbing  on  to  the  side  of  the  elephant,  and  it  is 
questionable  whether  the  infuriated  beast  would,  after  all,  have 
done  any  very  great  damage.  However,  the  Prince  who  had 
plenty  of  rifles  at  hand,  very  fortunately  had  presence  of  mind 
sufficient  to  fire  into  the  tiger's  face,  and  so  put  an  end  to  all 
further  doubts  by  killing  the  wretched  animal. 

On  another  occasion  His  Royal  Highness  was  present  at  the 
entangling  of  some  wild  elephants  in  the  Nepaul  jungle.  But 
this  is  a  sport  which  has  been  so  frequently  described  that  I 
need  do  no  more  than  allude  to  it  here.  Generally  the  hunters 
returned  at  the  close  of  the  day  with  what  in  England  would 
be  called  a  good  bag ;  and  once  the  Prince  of  Wales  shot  six 
tigers  before  he  came  back  to  camp.  At  first,  camp  etiquette 
prevailed  to  a  greater  extent  than  afterwards,  and  no  one  but 
the  Prince  was  supposed  to  shoot ;  but  after  a  while  this  was 
forgotten,  and  very  often  the  members  of  the  Royal  suite  shot 
more  than  their  master. 

TJseless  is  it  to  attempt  to  chronicle  the  doings  of  the  Nepaul 


HUNTING  IN  THE  JUNGLE.  349 

hunting  party,  for  what  they  achieved  was  done  with  the  aid  of 
resources  which  were  never  before  afforded  to  sportsmen,  and 
possibly  never  will  be  again.  More  interesting  by  far  is  it  to 
me  to  recall  the  delightful  mornings  I  spent  in  the  Himalayas, 
hard  by  Gungootra  and  Jumnootra,  the  frequent  views  of  the 
land  of  perpetual  snow,  the  vast  expanse  of  mountain  land, 
which  spreading  towards  Thibet  may  be  seen  from  the  hill 
stations  of  the  north  of  India.  To  such  as  may  visit  our  empire 
of  the  East  in  times  yet  to  come,  I  would  recommend  a  trip  to 
the  hills,  in  preference  to  anything  else  I  can  think  of  in  con- 
nection with  my  visit  to  the  far  East. 


CHAPTEK  XXXVI 

ALLAHABAD   AND    ITS    SIGHTS, 

Allahabad,  which  was  one  of  the  last  places  the  Prince 
visited,  the  capital  of  the  North-west  Provinces  of  India,  is  no 
unimportant  city.  If  it  has  nothing  else  to  recommend  it  to 
the  pious  Hindoo,  it  boasts  the  undying  sacred  tree,  to  worship 
which  thousands  of  religious  people  have  travelled  thousands 
of  miles  and  have  given  thousands  of  rupees.  As  an  ardent 
admirer  of  the  constant  circulation  of  money,  I  regret  to  say 
that  the  object  of  reverence  is  in  great  adversity  just  now ;  that 
rupees  are  likely  to  be  brought  to  its  roots  no  longer ;  that  the 
indefatigable  priests  whose  business  and  pleasure  alike  it  is  to 
conduct  the  ceremonies  which  experience  has  shown  are  best 
fitted  for  such  a  tree  are  in  great  dread  lest  the  services  should 
cease  for  very  lack  of  faithful  worshippers ;  and  that,  in  short, 
the  famous  underground  temple  of  Allahabad  Fort  is  in  a  very 
fair  way  to  be  shut  up  altogether.  The  cosmopolitan  religion- 
ist, the  lover  of  all  kinds  of  worship,  will,  perchance,  ask  why 
this  calamity  overhangs  so  sacred  a  shine.     Let  me  relate. 

Many,  many  years  ago,  so  far  back  that  no  one  even  guesses 
at  the  date,  an  exceptionally  devout  man,  whose  dwelling  was 
below  ground,  discovered  in  his  cave  a  tamarind  tree  which, 
although  it  never  pierced  the  upper  crust  of  the  earth,  nourished 
in  the  darkness  below.  He  did  not  keep  the  knowledge  to 
himself ;  on  the  contrary,  he  disseminated  it  among  his  acquaint- 
ances and  friends ;  and  as  in  those  good  old  days  there  were  no 
uncomfortable  sceptics,  his  cave  became  shortly  a  very  holy 
place.  I  do  not  think  that  tamarinds  were  ever  supposed  to 
grow  upon  that  wonderful  tree ;  the  only  thing  the  fakir  urged 


ALLAHABAD  AND  ITS  SIGHTS.  351 

was  that  shoots,  delicate  .young  green  shoots,  came  out  every 
spring  on  that  recondite  log,  and  that  their  appearance  was  the 
work  of  a  highly  respectable  deity.  Still,  that  was  surely  suffi- 
cient ;  it  was  a  perpetual  yearly  miracle.  Who  that  hoped  for 
salvation,  provided  he  were  rich  enough,  would  fail  to  procure 
one  of  those  wondrous  shoots  1  Besides,  was  not  the  very  fort 
itself  built  close  to  the  confluence  of  the  sacred  Ganges  and  the 
almost  equally  sacred  Jumna?  Could  not  the  sandy  yellow 
stream  which  flows  from  G-ungootra  be  actually  seen  from  the 
walls  of  the  citadel  as  it  crossed  the  flood  of  the  river  from 
Jumnootra?  It  undoubtedly  was  a  fortuitous  and  fortunate 
concurrence  of  events  which  should  take  the  pilgrim  to  Benares, 
to  the  golden  temple  and  the  burning  ghaut ;  but,  failing  that, 
no  journey  could  be  more  profitable  than  the  one  which  should 
bring  the  devotee  to  the  junction  of  the  rivers  and  the  sacred 
tree. 

The  fact  was  recognised.  For  hundreds  of  years  the  faithful 
from  Madras  and  the  Himalayas,  from  Calcutta  and  Bombay, 
from  the  other  side  of  the  Great  Desert,  and  even  from  Ceylon, 
came  to  do  Poojah  in  the  cave  and  buy  a  sprig  of  the  tree. 
Very  obligingly  the  most  pious  fakirs  of  the  district  united  to 
assist  at  the  worship.  They  cut  out  the  cave  with  great  care, 
they  collected  the  idols  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  Hindoo 
men,  and  put  them  up  in  suitable  places ;  they  made,  in  fact, 
all  kinds  of  arrangements  to  please  everyone  who  might  chance 
to  appear.  Did  a  Jain  come  hither,  there  was  the  well-known 
figure  of  him  to  adore ;  was  Parbati  the  deity  of  the  visitor, 
she  was  to  be  found  in  a  most  comfortable  corner  without  the 
slightest  difficulty ;  Kali  of  the  black  face,  Hanaman  with  the 
monkey's  tail,  Silla  Deva,  Shiva,  Vishnu,  and  Brahma,  all  were 
there ;  so  that  the  visitor  had  ample  and  unrestrained  choice. 
Little  wonder  then  that  the  shrine  was  popular,  or  that  devotees 
were  numerous. 

But  reverses  of  fortune  come  to  all,  and  the  sacred  tamarind 


352  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

tree,  the  cave,  and  the  priests  proved  no  exception  to  the  rule. 
A  military  Pharaoh  who  knew  not  the  Fakir  Joseph  who  lived 
in  the  cave  came  to  Allahabad  Fort,  and  without  any  hesitation 
pronounced  the  tree  a  swindle.  "  It  is  not,"  rejoined  the  Fakir. 
"  We  shall  see,"  replied  the  Major,  and  he  forthwith  gave  orders 
that  when  the  next  spring  time  came  no  tree  trunk  ready  to 
sprout  should  be  allowed  to  pass  the  gates  of  the  fort.  •  Never- 
theless, the  priests  were  triumphant ;  the  Major  presently  found 
them  in  full  possession  of  a  live  tree  and  surrounded  by  thou- 
sands of  congratulating  Hindoos,  who  rejoiced  exceedingly  at 
the  continued  miracle.  Still  the  Major  was  not  to  be  conquer- 
ed; he  made  fierce  inquisition,  and  then  found  that  a  venal 
sergeant  of  the  guard  had,  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  fifty 
rupees,  allowed  a  fresh  tree  to  be  passed  into  the  fort  in  the 
middle  of  the  night.  Then  began  the  troubles  of  the  priests 
once  more,  and  since  that  day  they  have  continued,  for,  with 
the  additional  precautions  taken,  their  efforts  to  substitute  a 
fresh  tamarind  have  been  frustrated,  and  the  old  trunk,  which 
sprouted  so  satisfactorily  last  year,  shows  no  more  shoots  this 
spring  than  if  it  had  been  dead  a  century. 

Allahabad,  then,  is  celebrated,  if  for  nothing  else,  for  the  pos- 
session of  this  once  prosperous  but  now  fallen  shrine ;  it  is,  how- 
ever, notable  for  much  more.  Not  only  was  it  a  favourite 
residence  of  Akbar,  but  it  was  here  that  Nana  Sahib  held  his 
court  in  1857.  Now,  however,  instead  of  being  the  head- 
quarters of  law-breakers,  it  is  the  chosen  seat  of  law-makers  and 
administrators,  the  fountain  of  justice  for  the  whole  of  the 
North-West.  To  it  come  the  litigants  of  the  province,  and 
how  numerous  they  are  those  can  estimate  who  know  how  fond 
of  law  Hindoos  are,  and  how  discontented  and  troublesome  forty 
millions  of  such  suitors  can  be. 

Entering  the  courts  of  justice,  you  find  five  or  six  Judges, 
presided  over  by  Sir  Robert  Stewart,  the  Chief  Justice.  Of 
these  legal  gentlemen  two  are,  very  fortunately,  barristers,  who, 


ALLAHABAD  AND  ITS  SIGHTS.  353 

in  consideration  of  a  display  of  ability  and  fitness  at  home,  have 
been  sent  out  to  India ;  the  others  are  civilians.  In  the  first 
court,  Sir  Robert  and  one  of  his  brethren  are  hearing  an  appeal 
which  may  be  taken  as  a  fair  sample  of  the  cases  which  employ 
them  all  the  year  round.  To  an  eye  unaccustomed  to  Oriental 
courts  the  scene  is  peculiar.  No  one  wears  a  wig,  not  even  the 
chief  himself.  Nor  have  all  the  barristers  gowns  !  they,  indeed, 
are  about  as  motley  a  group  as  may  easily  be  found  in  India. 
Seated  at  a  long  table  in  the  well  of  the  court,  they  represent 
the  natives  of  the  country  in  more  senses  than  one.  The  one 
at  the  extreme  right,  as  you  sit  on  the  raised  dais  appropriated 
to  the  Judges,  is  a  Mohammedan,  very  admirably  attired  in  a 
brown  striped  turban,  a  dingy  yellowish  green  gown,  and  cum- 
merbund ;  he  has  neither  rings  on  his  fingers  nor  shoes  on  his 
toes,  and  as  he  stands  up  to  speak,  barrister  of  large  practice 
though  he  is,  his  naked  feet  have  to  meet  the  boards.  Next  to 
him  is  an  English  pleader,  in  gown  and  bands.  A  Bengalee 
Baboo,  with  the  hat  so  well  known  to  all  who  have  visited  Cal- 
cutta, and  long,  black  cloak,  is  third ;  then  a  Hindoo  pur  et 
simple,  with  white  turban,  drab  petticoat,  and  naked  feet.  A 
Mohammedan,  attired  exactly  like  his  English  brethren,  gown, 
bands,  and  all,  is  the  fifth ;  and  a  half-caste,  or  Portuguese,  the 
last. 

Just  as  their  appearance  is  eminently  characteristic,  so  is  the 
case  which  they  are  debating.  A  Hindoo  lady  long  since 
defunct  lent  various  sums  of  money  to  a  native  gentleman  also 
gathered  to  his  fathers.  She  and  he  both  being  dead,  what 
more  natural,  according  to  Hindoo  usage,  than  that  her  descend- 
ant should  claim  from  his  that  the  lady  had  actually  lent 
more  than  was  originally  supposed,  and  that  therefore,  the 
borrower's  heirs  were  liable  for  more  than  they  had  reckoned 
upon.  And  what  more  natural  either  than  that  the  other  side 
should  vigorously  dispute  the  matter,  and  bring  up  just  as 
many  witnesses  ready  to  swear  anything  as  the  plaintiffs  had 


354  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA, 

contrived  to  produce  ?  All  this  being  eminently  in  accord  with 
the  customs  and  practices  of  the  enlightened  people  over  whom 
we  rule  in  India,  it  may  be  justly  inferred  that  long  practice 
has  made  them  very  perfect,  and  that  to  dismember  the  case 
from  its  intricacies  would  require  all  the  legal  acumen  of  the 
most  clear-sighted  Judges. 

Thus  it  is  that  you  find  after  the  Mohammedan  owner  of  the 
striped  turban  has  finished  his  statement  that  an  exhaustive 
argument  begins  on  the  meaning  of  some  particular  word  in  a 
kind  of  agreement  which  is  produced.  "  The  word  Ar  in  this 
document,"  says  the  Mohammedan,  "  means  mortgage,  and  is 
intended  to  convey  the  wish  of  the  borrower  to  give  up  his  land 
if  he  could  not  pay  his  debts."  "No  such  thing,"  rejoins  one 
of  the  Hindoo  barristers,  "  Ar  means  nothing  of  the  sort." 
"  What  does  it  mean  then  T  asks  the  Chief-Justice  ;  whereupon 
a  number  of  dictionaries  are  brought  in,  and  the  barristers  are 
soon  all  immersed  in  philological  research.  "  My  dictionary 
gives  '  Ar,  a  ladle  used  in  a  sugar  factory,' "  says  Mr.  Justice 
Pearson.  "Mine  calls  it  'a  goad,'"  ejaculated  Sir  Robert 
Stuart.  "  It  is  a  line  drawn  across  the  forehead,  my  lord," 
says  the  Baboo  barrister,  "  and  probably  refers  in  some  distant 
manner  to  the  pledge  of  religious  fidelity  which  my  countrymen 
give  when  they  worship."  "  That's  not  right,"  rejoins  the 
Hindoo  ;  "  Ar  is  the  synonym  for  drowning,  and  is  intended  to 
convey  the  idea  of  being  deep  in  debt."  Whereupon  the  Court 
very  sagely  wags  its  head,  and  rules  against  the  idea  that  mort- 
gage is  meant,  and  so  the  case  proceeds.  Incidentally  it 
transpires  that  the  interest  on  the  original  sum  claimed  has 
already  amounted  to  five  times  the  principal,  and  that  in  process 
of  litigation  the  estate  concerned  has  long  since  been  swalled  up. 
After  all,  it  would  seem  that  "  Ar "  was  not  a  bad  word  to 
apply  to  that  defunct  gentleman's  ground. 

In  this  way  the  case  proceeds  all  day.  Technical  objections 
are  raised  every  few  moments  by  one  side  or  the  other  ±  there 


ALLAHABAD  AND  ITS  SIGHTS.  355 

is  an  endless  fight  over  words  ;  and  at  last  the  court  rises,  and 
the  question  of  what  is  meant  by  the  document  after  all,  or 
whether  the  gentleman  who  wrote  it  ever  had  the  money  he 
wanted,  is  left  undecided.  However,  the  lawyers  are  happy  if 
their  clients  are  not,  and,  as  time  is  "  no  object "  to  any  well- 
bred  Hindoo,  it  is  probable  the  litigants  themselves  are  not 
greatly  disappointed  after  all. 


CHAPTEE  XXXVII 

ENGLISH    LIFE    IN   THE    HILLS. 

Smallest  of  all  the  mountain  stations  to  which  Indians  escape 
from  the  heat  of  the  sun,  Nynee  Tal  received  a  visit  from  the 
Prince,  who  stayed  but  a  few  hours  in  the  hills,  whilst  his  pre- 
sence was  marked  by  no  occurrence  worth  noting.  How 
different  the  case  might  have  been  had  his  Royal  Highness  been 
led  to  Mussoorie,  let  me  point  out. 

Unlike  Simla,  the  great  summer  capital  of  India,  this  eagle's 
nest  is  within  twelve  hours'  reach  by  rail.  Were  you  inclined 
to  see  the  chain  of  snow-clad  mountains  from  the  Viceroy's 
Palace,  you  must  needs  submit  to  a  five  hours'  journey  in  that 
most  uncomfortable  of  vehicles,  the  dak-gharry — a  kind  of 
dilapidated  London  cab  with  the  well  boarded  over — and  then 
a  perpetual  ascent  upon  ledges  more  or  less  narrow  for  fifty-six 
miles  farther,  your  choice  of  conveyance  lying  between  a  kind 
of  palanquin,  called  in  the  language  of  the  district  a  "  jhampan," 
borne  on  the  unequal  shoulders  of  eight  reckless  savages,  or  a 
country  pony  the  only  qualification  of  which  is  that  he  is  toler- 
ably sure-footed.  To  reach  Mussoorie  the  difficulty  would  be 
far  less.  You  would  have  a  rather  more  prolonged  jolting  in 
the  dak-gharry,  perhaps  you  might  get  a  tumble  over  a  little 
precipice,  as  did  some  travellers  only  a  few  days  back ;  but  once 
at  the  foot  of  the  hills,  in  the  village  of  Raj  pore,  the  only  re- 
maining effort  would  be  a  steep  ascent  of  seven  miles,  which  on 
a  country  pony  could  be  achieved  in  as  many  hours.  I  have 
mentioned  that  a  happy  characteristic  of  these  creatures  is  their 
sure-footedness ;  and  it  is  fortunate  they  possess  it,  for  it  is  over 
no  wide,  easy,  well-guarded  road  that  your  path  lies.  As  a 
general  rule,  you  are  most  of  your  time  within  a  foot  of  the 


ENGLISH  LIFE  IN  THE  HILLS.  357 

edge  of  an  abyss  many  hundreds  of  feet  deep.  It  is  useless  to 
endeavour  to  force  your  horse  to  go  closer  to  the  rock  above. 
Experience  has  taught  him  that  sometimes  those  overhanging 
stones  are  loosened  and  fall,  perhaps  at  some  time  or  other  he 
has  had  a  narrow  escape  from  being  crushed,  and  he  resolutely 
declines  to  obey  the  bit.  It  is  as  much  as  your  life  is  worth  to 
spur  him  or  to  fight  the  question  of  mastery  out  in  such  a  place. 
Most  probably  it  is  not  five  feet  wide  in  all,  and  a  sharp  jerk 
might  send  you  over  the  side.  There  is  the  remembrance  of 
Sir  Richard  Temple's  narrow  escape  on  just  such  a  ledge  not 
many  months  age,  when  the  ground  over  which  the  horse  was 
trotting  gave  way,  and  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Bengal  only 
saved  his  life  by  springing  from  the  saddle. 

Yet  'difficult  and  somewhat  unpleasant  as  is  Mussoorie  of 
access,  it  would  not  be  wise  to  miss  it  on  that  account.  Every 
step  taken,  every  corner  passed,  every  fresh  altitude  attained, 
unfolds  to  the  astonished  eye  fresh  beauties  and  marvels  of  nature. 
Down  below  is  the  Dhoon  valley,  through  which  runs  the  Jumna, 
on  its  way  to  Allahabad.  Like  a  bright  streak  of  quicksilver  it 
divides  the  pleasant  landscape,  and  gives  it  fertility.  Nor  is 
the  valley  itself  unworthy  your  attention.  Here  and  there  it 
is  dotted  with  little  villages,  of  which  that  of  Raj  pore,  through 
which  you  came,  is  a  fair  specimen.  In  those  mud-built 
hovels,  with  straw  thatches,  live,  all  their  lives  through,  the 
contented  people  of  the  plain,  almost  wholly  engaged  in  the 
cultivation  of  tiny  plots  of  ground  and  in  the  curing  of  skins. 
For  round  about  here  bear,  leopard,  lynx,  and  even  tigers  roam 
free.  There  are  deer  in  plenty,  with  game  of  the  lesser  sort, 
and  these  harmless  people,  having  learnt  the  art  of  dressing 
skins  as  no  others  can,  are  employed  all  the  year  round  by  the 
white  Sahibs,  who  come  hither  for  the  purpose  of  shooting.  It 
is  nothing  to  them  that  the  work  is  monotonous ;  that  their 
whole  lives  are  spent  in  the  everlasting  scrubbing  and  scrap- 
ing of  buck  and  cheetah  skins.     They  are  paid,  and  that  is  all 


358  WITH  THE  PRINCE  IN  INDIA. 

they  care  for.  What  is  life  to  them  but  a  succession  of  eating, 
drinking,  sleeping,  and  waking  ?  Far  from  their  ken  lies  the 
restless,  busy  world  beyond,  and  they  have  no  desire  but  to  do 
as  their  fathers  did  before  them. 

Very  different  people  are  those  who  are  carrying  your  luggage 
up  the  mountain  side.  They  are  men  of  the  hills — strong, 
muscular,  restless  beings,  who  love  nothing  so  much  as  roving 
and  roaming.  Most  of  them  were  born  in  Thibet,  or  in  the 
stray  hamlets  which  are  to  be  found  in  all  parts  of  the  Hima- 
layas. Their  hair  in  front  is  cut  short,  so  as  not  to  impede  the 
vision  of  their  Mongolian  eyes.  It  hangs  down  long  at  the 
sides  as  a  protection  for  their  ears.  All  the  covering  they  have 
is  a  rough  rug,  and  their  feet  are  kept  from  the  crags  by  only 
a  straw  shoe.  Yet,  thus  equipped,  they  would  start  immediately, 
if  directed,  across  even  the  great  snow-covered  ridge  of  mountains 
into  Central  Asia,  at  the  risk  of  getting  nothing  more  sub- 
stantial than  icy  water  for  days — four  hundred  miles  of  moun- 
tain travelling.  They  smile  when  you  say  it  is  an  impossibility ; 
and  three  out  of  six  of  them  tell  you  they  have  already 
achieved  it.  Indeed,  an  English  officer  who  is  near  confirms 
their  story  by  stating  how,  one  bleak  October,  he  and  a  com- 
panion, escorted  by  a  hundred  and  twenty  of  these  hardy 
savages,  were  safely  conveyed  through  snow,  river  passes,  and 
over  steep  ridges,  with  little  more  trouble  or  danger  than  we  are 
experiencing  now,  and  points  to  the  fact  that  four  men  who  died 
in  process  of  that  journey  were  not  natives  of  the  hills,  but 
counterfeits,  who  wore  warm  clothing,  and  thought  by  such 
means  to  emulate  the  nearly  naked  but  immeasurably  hardier 
children  of  the  Himalayas. 

What  these  great  heights  are  like  you  cannot  as  yet  tell ;  for 
though  the  distance  beneath  is  immense,  you  cannot  see  many 
feet  upwards  so  projecting  are  the  moss-covered  cliffs.  And 
sometimes  you  catch  a  glimpse  from  some  rounded  spur  of  a 
mass  of  mountains,  though  this  is  only  for  an  instant.    At  length 


ENGLISH  LIFE  IN  TEE  HILLS.  359 

you  begin  to  near  the  top,  and  to  gain  an  idea  of  an  Indian 
sanatorium.  Perhaps  the  first  notification  is  a  cutting  blast  of 
a  cold  north  wind.  Then  you  look  round,  and  find  that  you 
are  skirting  a  kind  of  huge  basin ;  that  the  ledge  you  are  on 
leads  slowly  up  to  a  point  on  which  a  great  white  building 
stands;  that  here  and  there  other  houses  are  peeping  forth 
from  cavernous  hiding-places,  and  that  all  these  various  struc- 
tures are  upon  shelves  similar  to  that  which  you  are  traversing. 
You  are,  in  fact,  making  your  first  acquaintance  with  Mussoorie, 
with  all  its  bungalows  and  cottages.  Perhaps  you  somewhat 
expected  to  find  a  street  or  road,  some  kind  of  thoroughfare  on 
which  you  might  amble  at  ease.  There  is  nothing  of  the  sort, 
in  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  terms,  in  the  place.  It  is 
one  succession  of  ledges  and  precipices.  Wherever  a  level  spot 
could  be  found,  or  a  hill-top  whereon  a  house  could  by  any 
possibility  be  placed,  there  one  has  been  erected.  Then,  to  reach 
it,  a  cutting  has  been  made  in  the  rock  sufficiently  wide  for 
two  horses  to  pass ;  perhaps  a  slight  railing  has  been  fixed  at 
the  more  precipitous  parts  and  abrupt  turnings,  and  all  that  is 
considered  necessary  has  been  done.  If  you  are  ignorant  of 
the  way,  you  will  not  wander  about  at  night  time  alone.  A  false 
step  would  precipitate  you  into  the  valley  below. 

Once  in  Mussoorie,  it  is  easy  to  see  why  wealthy  Anglo- 
Indians  should  flee  here  to  escape  the  sun  in  the  plains.  Seven 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  and  even  more,  a  cool 
breeze  is  perpetually  playing ;  the  temperature  is  almost  the 
same  as  that  of  England,  and,  were  the  ground  only  moderately 
even,  life  in  this  retreat  would  be  a  delight.  Level  it  is  in  one 
direction,  and  in  that  only.  Passing  by  the  English  church, 
which  is  itself  perched  on  a  point  of  rock  overlooking  a  deep 
valley,  the  traveller  quits  the  houses  of  Mussoorie,  and  enters 
the  jungle  which  covers  the  hills.  How  beautiful  this  is,  only 
those  who  have  seen  it  know. 

Gingerly  picking  its  way,  your  horse  leads  you  through  forests 


360  WITH  THE  PRINCE   IN  INDIA. 

of  rhododendrons  fifty  feet  high  with  stems  as  thick  and  as 
strong  as  elm  trees,  and  branches  covered  with  myriads  of  bright 
red  blossoms— or  you  find  yourself  in  a  region  of  ferns,  with  the 
huge  wide-spreading  leaves  overtopping  your  head — or  a  little 
further  on  you  find  your  path  bestrewn  with  acorns,  shed  from 
the  Himalaya  oak.  Pheasants,  startled  by  the  unwonted  sound 
of  your  horse's  hoofs,  fly  up  with  a  whirr  into  the  impenetrable 
recesses  above  or  down  into  the  denser  foliage  beneath.  Masr- 
pies  chatter  round  you  by  hundreds,  and  parrots  with  bright, 
green  feathers  keep  them  company.  You  will  do  well  not  to 
have  brought  a  favourite  dog  with  you,  for  below  are  crafty 
leopards  waiting  quietly  for  such  stray  pets  as  may  incautiously 
penetrate  their  hiding  places ;  and  your  presence  will  scarcely 
suffice  for  its  protection  should  a  hungry  cheetah  cross  your 
terrier's  path.  "With  a  bound  much  swifter  than  those  tame 
hunters  of  Baroda  and  Jummoo,  the  leopard  gains  the  ledge, 
seizes  its  prey,  and  disappears  into  the  thicket.  Last  season,  at 
the  very  spot  on  which  we  are  standing,  the  retriever  of  my 
companion  was  well-nigh  snatched  away,  two  strong  men  barely 
sufficing  to  baulk  the  leopard  of  its  intended  victim.  Let  it  not 
be  imagined  that  a  man  need  fear  anything.  The  strength  of 
the  leopard  is  no  gauge  of  its  bravery ;  and  he  never  faces  a 
human  being  unless  brought  to  bay. 

At  length  you  emerge  from  the  jungle  for  a  few  yards,  and 
then  what  a  view  presents  itself ! 

Straight  away  in  front  lie  the  larger  mountains  of  the  Him- 
alayas, the  great  snowy  range  of  which  so  much  has  been  said, 
but  of  which  so  little  is  known.  There  is  Gungootra,  the  source 
of  the  Ganges,  with  its  four  bright  peaks  and  long  connect- 
ing range,  and  almost  touching  it  Jumnootra,  whence  flows 
the  Jumna  we  have  but  lately  seen  in  the  valley  of  the 
Dhoon.  From  yonder  glaciers  the  two  streams  flow,  re- 
inforced in  different  places  and  from  different  mountains, 
till  they  become  the  gigantic  rivers  which  the  Hindoos  wor- 


ENGLISH  LIFE  IN  THE  HILLS.  361 

ship,  which  meet  at  Allahabad,  and  flow  into  the  sea  by 
Calcutta.  Side  by  side  they  move  together.  You  could  cross 
them  both  in  a  single  day  were  you  but  down  in  the 
valley.  Indeed,  there  is  a  point  at  which  you  can  see  the 
crevices  of  two  separate  waterfalls,  each  of  which  you  are  told 
empties  itself  into  a  different  river.  But  on  this  point  you  can 
scarcely  assure  yourself.  You  would  have  to  climb  over  scores 
of  mountains,  each  of  them  as  high  as  the  great  Pilatus  at 
Lucerne ;  you  would  have  to  press  your  way  through  jungles 
so  dense  that  in  the  summer-time,  when  the  rains  have  fallen 
and  vegetation  is  ripe,  they  are  almost  impassable,  and  you 
would  have  to  be  careful  not  to  lose  your  way,  else  you  might 
hopelessly  wander  in  search  of  your  goal  till  you  reached  an 
uninhabited  region,  and  there  cease  to  exist.  Still  there  are 
those  who  have  successfully  adventured,  and  tell  you  that  Jum- 
nootra,  when  close  at  hand,  resembles  nothing  so  much  as  a 
huge  cathedral,  that  its  towering  peak,  which  reaches  a  height  of 
twenty  four  thousand  feet,  is  like  the  spire  of  a  lordly  fane, 
and  that  its  snows  make  you  almost  believe  that  it  is  built  of 
the  purest  white  marble. 

One  might  easily  believe  this  sitting  under  the  shadow  of 
bending  bamboos,  close  to  a  little  waterfall  which  has  been 
utilised  for  the  purpose  of  lunch,  so  grand  is  the  mountain 
which  shuts  in  the  horizon.  But  unhappily  a  lengthened  look 
is  scarcely  possible,  for  the  sun  is  fast  setting,  and  what  is  more 
important  still,  a  storm  is  gathering,  and  we  are  six  miles  from 
home.  Every  now  and  then  the  moan  of  wild  beasts  can  be 
heard  among  the  trees,  the  clatter  of  the  birds  is  incessant,  and 
our  horses  plunge  and  kick  as  the  black  clouds  float  towards 
the  valley  we  are  in.  Six  miles  to  climb  up  rocky  path  and 
jungle,  six  miles  on  ledge  and  shelf,  our  horses  unsteady,  and 
the  rain  coming  on  !  Yet  who  would  miss  the  sight  of  a  storm 
in  the  Himalayas  1  The  stream  of  light  which  now  and  again 
revealed  the  two  great  mountains  and  all  their  lesser  kin  more 

23 


362  WITH  THE   PRINCE  IN   INDIA. 

than  compensated  for  the  terrific  downpour  of  rain  which  accom- 
panied the  vast  illumination ;  and  if  the  journey  was  tedious, 
the  spectacle  was  grateful  as  being  one  we  might  never  witness 
again. 

Such,  then,  is  the  place  to  which  wealthy  Anglo-Indians  go 
in  the  hot  season,  and  send  their  wives  and  children.  Once 
here,  their  diversions  are  numerous,  for  to  the  English  whose 
life  is  spent  in  India  the  chief  thought  always  is  how  much 
pleasure  may  be  best  extracted  from  the  life  they  are  forced  to 
lead.  Very  naturally  this  characteristic  is  not  left  idle  in  the 
hills,  and  thus  it  is  that  in  addition  to  the  private  social  reunion 
there  is  always  a  daily  assembly  of  all  who  are  held  to  belong 
to  society. 

•  To  effect  this  it  is  necessary  that  there  should  be  a  general 
rendezvous,  and  this  is  formed  by  the  establishment  of  an 
Institute  at  every  station.  Thither,  as  soon  as  the  sun  loses 
somewhat  of  his  power,  in  the  afternoon  all  bend  their  steps. 
Ladies  are  carried  in  their  jhampans,  gentlemen  go  on  horse- 
back or  afoot.  To  be  absent  would  be  about  as  unwarrantable 
a  failing  as  an  Anglo-Indian  could  well  imagine.  Nor  is  this 
without  reason,  for  more  pleasant  hours  could  not  be  spent. 
For  the  stronger  men,  who  are  swift  of  foot  and  adroit  of  wrist, 
there  is  lawn  tennis,  in  playing  which  residents  in  the  North- 
West  are  adepts.  Perhaps  it  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  in  years 
gone  by  racquets  were  a  favourite  game.  Anyhow,  men  who 
come  fresh  from  England  invariably  find  themselves  no  match 
for  the  residents,  and  have  to  work  hard  before  they  can  cut  a 
respectable  figure  in  the  lawn  tennis  court.  But  after  all  Bad- 
minton holds  its  own  against  all  other  diversions  \  and  if  you 
have  any  doubt  as  to  the  perfection  to  which  this  excellent 
game  can  be  brought,  you  have  but  to  invite  the  first  two  or 
three  ladies  who  may  chance  to  come  from  India  to  illustrate  their 
skill,  when  you  will  quickly  be  convinced,  especially  if  you 
chance  to  figure  in  the  opposing  court.    They  form  parties  which, 


ENGLISH  LIFE  IN  THE  HILLS.  363 

evening  after  evening,  from  one  month  to  another,  play  without 

ceasing.     You  know  where  to  find  Colonel  S ;  you  can  tell 

exactly  at  which  net  his  wife  is  playing;  the  Commissioner 
will  be  at  his  post  to  a  moment,  and  the  Assistant  Magistrate's 
wife  will  be  cheerfully  batting  away  on  the  spot  where  you  saw 
her  a  week  ago,  at  the  very  same  hour.  There  is  no  obstacle 
they  will  not  overcome  to  ensure  their  favourite  game.  Is  the 
sun  still  too  hot  for  them  to  venture  out  of  doors?  Then  a 
bed-room  is  turned  out,  the  net  is  stretched  across,  and  the 
shuttlecock  is  soon  flying  merrily  in  every  direction.  Are  they 
at  a  hill  station,  where  all  is  ledge  and  shelf  and  slope  *?  A 
hundred  coolies  are  immediately  set  to  work  to  hew  and  cut  at 
the  ground  till  a  level  place  is  made  and  roped  in ;  then  up  goes 
the  ever-appearing  net,  and  the  bats  are  in  full  swing  directly. 
Of  course,  Mussoorie  is  no  exception  to  the  rule.  All  round 
the  Institute  crooked  places  have  been  made  straight,  and 
rough  places  plain,  rock  has  been  actually  blasted  with  gun- 
powder to  make  way  for  the  all-pervading  shuttlecock,  and  as 
to  trees,  they  have  certainly  not  been  allowed  to  stand  in  the- 
way.  Only  mention  the  possibility  of  Badminton,  and  the  trees 
are  moved  off  as  if  by  magic.  Nor  is  this  altogether  without 
its  good  results.  How  much  liver  complaint  has  been  warded 
off  doctors  do  not  like  to  say.  But  the  fact  remains  that  fewer 
people  in  proportion  go  home  to  England  in  the  hot  weather, 
though  money  is  apparently  more  plentiful  than  ever.  For 
those,  however,  who  do  not  care  for  such  athletic  exercises, 
there  is  the  well-kept  floor  of  the  Institute  itself;  some  volun- 
teer is  always  at  the  piano ;  no  master  of  ceremonies  is  needed, 
for  all  know  each  other,  and  partners  are  whirling  round  with- 
out intermission.  Staid  old  men  spend  their  time  in  the  read- 
ing-room or  at  billiards;  matches  are  even  made  here  by 
thoughtful  mammas,  and  young  officers,  military  and  civilian, 
are  inveigled  into  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  matrimony.  I  know 
a  station  in  which  five  officers  in  one  English  regiment  have 


364  WITH  THE  PBINCE   IN  INDIA. 

thus  been  entrapped  during  the  past  six  months,  two  of  them 
subalterns. 

This,  then,  is  life  in  India ;  another  side  to  the  picture  could 
be  shown,  of  terrible  heat  and  utter  prostration  during  the  six 
summer  months  down  in  the  plains.  But  why  think  of  this 
when  the  ringing  laughter  from  the  Badminton  court  mingles 
with  the  music  in  the  Institute,  the  clicking  of  the  billiard 
balls,  and  the  soft  conversation  of  lovers  1 

The  journey  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  so  far  as  India  was 
concerned,  concluded  shortly  afterwards;  his  Royal  Highness 
merely  pausing  on  his  way  from  Allahabad  to  Bombay,  to  pay 
a  flying  visit  to  Holkar,  at  his  capital  of  Indore.  Of  the 
political  and  social  results  of  the  trip  it  is  not  my  purpose  to 
speak  in  this  place.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  owing  to  the  united 
efforts  of  military  and  civil  officials  of  India,  his  Royal  High- 
ness was  afforded,  in  the  course  of  the  four  months  he  spent  in 
that  marvellous  country,  an  opportunity  of  gaining  knowledge 
with  regard  to  its  resources  and  its  peoples,  the  like  of  which 
was  never  enjoyed  before,  and,  possibly,  never  will  be  again. 


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